Background Noise Affects Food Perception??

Peter Creasey

Peter Creasey

Peter Creasey
Abstract

We investigated the effects of auditory background noise on the perception of gustatory food properties (sugar level, salt level), food crunchiness and food liking. Participants blindly consumed different foods whilst passively listening to either no sound, or quiet or loud background white noise. The foods were then rated in terms of sweetness, saltiness and liking (Experiment 1) or in terms of overall flavour, crunchiness and liking (Experiment 2). Reported sweetness and saltiness was significantly lower in the loud compared to the quiet sound conditions (Experiment 1), but crunchiness was reported to be more intense (Experiment 2). This suggests that food properties unrelated to sound (sweetness, saltiness) and those conveyed via auditory channels (crunchiness) are differentially affected by background noise. A relationship between ratings of the liking of background noise and ratings of the liking of the food was also found (Experiment 2). We conclude that background sound unrelated to food diminishes gustatory food properties (saltiness, sweetness) which is suggestive of a cross-modal contrasting or attentional effect, whilst enhancing food crunchiness.

Keywords: Flavour; Taste; Crunchiness; Sound; Multisensory; Liking; Perception
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Effects of Background Noise on Food Perception

Corollary: Any similar/dissimilar effects on wine perception??

. . . . . . . Pete
 
originally posted by Peter Creasey:
Corollary: Any similar/dissimilar effects on wine perception??

. . . . . . . Pete
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Yes.

To the extent that it is hard to focus on the gustatory event at hand, there will be different perceptions than if one is paying close attention. No?
 
I think the brain does have bandwidth limits. I have noticed, on myself, that if I run my fingers lightly across my cheek -- a tingly sort of sensation -- that the hearing in that ear is slightly damped for the duration of the tingle.
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman: Pete, that doesn't work, either.
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Jeff, That same link works fine when posted on other sites/blogs. I used it on my blog and it works fine. It only seems to fail to work here.

By the way, I am not a paid user either.

Interesting!!

. . . . . . Pete
 
I think the brain does have bandwidth limits. I have noticed, on myself, that if I run my fingers lightly across my cheek -- a tingly sort of sensation -- that the hearing in that ear is slightly damped for the duration of the tingle.
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So that's why you're always doing that.
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
I think the brain does have bandwidth limits. I have noticed, on myself, that if I run my fingers lightly across my cheek -- a tingly sort of sensation -- that the hearing in that ear is slightly damped for the duration of the tingle.
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No shit...I find when my wife runs her hand lightly across my thighs, I too, get that tingly thing. Funny.

On the other hand, as one knows, Stevie Wonder's music works well for plants, Red Hot Chili Pepps for miscreants, Black Flag for even worse.....it's all good to me. Try pairing wine with wine.
 
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