Consumption Simulations Induce Salivation to Food Cues

Abstract

Salivation to food cues is typically explained in terms of mere stimulus-response links. However, food cues seem to especially increase salivation when food is attractive, suggesting a more complex psychological process. Adopting a grounded cognition perspective, we suggest that perceiving a food triggers simulations of consuming it, especially when attractive. These simulations then induce salivation, which effectively prepares the body for eating the food. In two experiments, we systematically examined the role of simulations on salivation to food cues. As stimuli, both experiments used an attractive, a neutral, and a sour food, as well as a non-food control object. In Experiment 1, participants were instructed to simulate eating every object they would be exposed to. We then exposed them to each object separately. Salivation was assessed by having participants spit their saliva into a cup after one minute of exposure. In Experiment 2, we instructed half of participants to simulate eating each object, and half to merely look at them, while measuring salivation as in Experiment 1. Afterwards, participants rated their simulations and desire to eat for each object separately. As predicted, foods increased salivation compared to the non-food control object, especially when they were attractive or sour (Exp. 1 and 2). Importantly, attractive and sour foods especially increased salivation when instructed to simulate (Exp. 2). These findings suggest that consumption simulations play an important role in inducing salivary responses to food cues. We discuss directions for future research as well as the role of simulations for other appetitive processes.

Health goal priming as a situated intervention tool: how to benefit from nonconscious motivational routes to health behaviour

“…Similarly, work on desire and goals has shown that reading about or seeing chips triggers thoughts about their taste and texture, of eating and enjoying them, and of watching movies with one’s friends (Papies, 2013). Such a cue can also inhibit the competing goal of dieting (Fishbach, Friedman, & Kruglanski, 2003; Papies, Stroebe, & Aarts, 2008a; Stroebe, Mensink, Aarts, Schut, & Kruglanski, 2008), and it increases salivation and the desire to eat (Keesman, Papies, Vermeent, Aarts, & Hafner, 2015), which can lead, for example, to impulsive eating behaviour (see also Hofmann et al, 2008). As this brief analysis has shown, cognitive structures, which are here referred to as situated conceptualisations, mediate the effects of situational cues on health behaviour, and this can explain the effects of habits, impulses, and goals.…”

“…This is often at the cost of long-term investment goals , such as watching one’s weight or controlling one’s alcohol intake for the sake of one’s health later in life. Indeed, the exposure to a tempting stimulus is likely to trigger simulations of consuming and enjoying it (Keesman et al, 2015; Papies, 2013; Simmons, Martin, & Barsalou, 2005), making thoughts of a competing long-term health goal increasingly unlikely (Papies et al, 2008a; Stroebe et al, 2013). In order to improve the nonconscious regulation of health behaviour, situational cues thus need to activate situated conceptualisations of long-term investment goals, rather than of short-term hedonic goals only.…”

Causes, assessment and treatment of malnutrition in older people

“…Those who are frail may not feel » Added water also increases portion size, which can make eating challenging for people with dysphagia who are less likely to be interested in food (Little 2013). » Home-blended meals can be visually unappealing, which means they may not trigger salivation and make swallowing even more difficult (Keesman et al 2016).…”

Introductory Chapter: Generation of Aromas and Flavours

“…Pavlovian conditioning is an example of how man is able to acquire several preferences in terms of flavour, which becomes better liked through its association with an already enjoyed taste, nutritive content and positive post-ingestive effect [16]. Pavlovian conditioning is also the cause of "food craving", which is elicited by signs predicting the intake of an appetising food [17]. For instance, in order to perceive the food by the taste or olfactory receptors, aroma and taste components must be released in the saliva, which depends on the food matrix composition and structure and on the masticatory behaviour.…”