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Fear Reduces Perceived Sweetness: Changes in the Perception of Taste due to Emotional State
  • Naoya Zushi,
  • Midori Ogawa,
  • Saho Ayabe-Kanamura
Naoya Zushi
Graduate school of Comprehensive Human Science, University of Tsukuba

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Midori Ogawa
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Saho Ayabe-Kanamura
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Abstract

This study manipulated the emotional state of participants by having them watch movies involving comedy, horror, and beautiful scenery. High state anxiety was triggered among the participants who watched a horror movie, and high juice consumption was confirmed among them. The perception of sweetness of the mixed juice was found to be reduced in the horror movie group compared to the other two groups, while the comedy movie group participants were found to have tasted less bitterness than did the horror movie group participants. Furthermore, the relationship between liking the juice and sweetness was found to differ according to emotional state. This study confirms that our emotional state affects our perception of taste, including that feeling fear and anxiety can reduce the perception of sweetness. These findings suggest that our emotional state may affect our perception of taste.
Jan 2021Published in SAGE Open volume 11 issue 1 on pages 215824402198931. 10.1177/2158244021989318