It's both. In stronger drug addictions, the ritual itself is rewarding even if there are no drugs present in your system yet.
Add that to conditioned place preference and you have your rewarding coffee ritual.
Add that to conditioned place preference and you have your rewarding coffee ritual.
Even though I quite smoking over 10 years ago I still remember it with the fondness of an old friend.
I just can not do it. It is just not the same sitting here without the taste, smell and sensory experience completely divorced from the actual caffeine. That is with even taking more caffeine than I would get from my brew coffee.