title: Background music genre can modulate flavor pleasantness and overall impression of food stimuli.
abstract: This study aimed to determine whether background music genre can alter food perception and acceptance, but also to determine how the effect of background music can vary as a function of type of food (emotional versus non-emotional foods) and source of music performer (single versus multiple performers). The music piece was edited into four genres: classical, jazz, hip-hop, and rock, by either a single or multiple performers. Following consumption of emotional (milk chocolate) or non-emotional food (bell peppers) with the four musical stimuli, participants were asked to rate sensory perception and impression of food stimuli. Participants liked food stimuli significantly more while listening to the jazz stimulus than the hip-hop stimulus. Further, the influence of background music on overall impression was present in the emotional food, but not in the non-emotional food. In addition, flavor pleasantness and overall impression of food stimuli differed between music genres arranged by a single performer, but not between those by multiple performers. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that music genre can alter flavor pleasantness and overall impression of food stimuli. Furthermore, the influence of music genre on food acceptance varies as a function of the type of served food and the source of music performer.
authors: Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas, 2650 North Young Avenue, Fayetteville, AR 72704, USA.
authors: Alexandra
authors: A
authors: Fiegel
authors: Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas, 2650 North Young Avenue, Fayetteville, AR 72704, USA.
authors: Jean-François
authors: JF
authors: Meullenet
authors: Food, Human Nutrition and Hospitality Program, University of Arkansas, HOEC 118, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
authors: Robert J
authors: RJ
authors: Harrington
authors: Department of Music, University of Arkansas, MB 201, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA.
authors: Rachel
authors: R
authors: Humble
authors: Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas, 2650 North Young Avenue, Fayetteville, AR 72704, USA. Electronic address: hanseok@uark.edu.
authors: Han-Seok
authors: HS
authors: Seo
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001307:Auditory Perception; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions; D036262:Empirical Research; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009146:Music / Q000523:psychology; D055696:Olfactory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Emotional food; Flavor pleasantness; Food acceptance; Music genre; Music performer