title: Supertaster, super reactive: oral sensitivity for bitter taste modulates emotional approach and avoidance behavior in the affective startle paradigm.
abstract: People differ in both their sensitivity for bitter taste and their tendency to respond to emotional stimuli with approach or avoidance. The present study investigated the relationship between these sensitivities in an affective picture paradigm with startle responding. Emotion-induced changes in arousal and attention (pupil modulation), priming of approach and avoidance behavior (startle reflex modulation), and subjective evaluations (ratings) were examined. Sensitivity for bitter taste was assessed with the 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP)-sensitivity test, which discriminated individuals who were highly sensitive to PROP compared to NaCl (PROP-tasters) and those who were less sensitive or insensitive to the bitter taste of PROP. Neither pupil responses nor picture ratings differed between the two taster groups. The startle eye blink response, however, significantly differentiated PROP-tasters from PROP-insensitive subjects. Facilitated response priming to emotional stimuli emerged in PROP-tasters but not in PROP-insensitive subjects at shorter startle lead intervals (200-300ms between picture onset and startle stimulus onset). At longer lead intervals (3-4.5s between picture onset and startle stimulus onset) affective startle modulation did not differ between the two taster groups. This implies that in PROP-sensitive individuals action tendencies of approach or avoidance are primed immediately after emotional stimulus exposure. These results suggest a link between PROP taste perception and biologically relevant patterns of emotional responding. Direct perception-action links have been proposed to underlie motivational priming effects of the startle reflex, and the present results extend these to the sensory dimension of taste.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology I, University of Würzburg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, University of Tübingen, Germany; Department of Biomedical Resonance, University of Tübingen, Germany. Electronic address: cornelia.herbert@psychologie.uni-wuerzburg.de.
authors.forename: Cornelia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Herbert
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology I, University of Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Platte
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology I, University of Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wiemer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology I, University of Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Macht
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Terry D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Blumenthal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001767:Blinking / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011441:Propylthiouracil / Q000494:pharmacology; D011680:Pupil / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013649:Taste / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D055697:Taste Perception / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013652:Taste Threshold / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D011441:Propylthiouracil
keywords: Behavior; Emotion; Startle reflex; Taste