Personality traits and gender influence liking and choice of food pungency

Spinelli, Sara; Toffoli, Alessandra De; Dinnella, Caterina; Laureati, Monica; Pagliarini, E.; Bendini, Alessandra; Braghieri, Ada; Toschi, Tullia Gallina; Sinesio, Fiorella; Torri, Luisa; Gasperi, F.; Endrizzi, I.; Magli, Massimiliano; Borgogno, Monica; Salvo, R. Di; Favotto, Saida; Prescott, John; Monteleone, Erminio

doi:10.1016/j.foodqual.2018.01.014

Cited by 85 publications

(87 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…The disposition to focus on internal bodily sensations (awareness of internal sensations) was quantified using the 5 item Private Body Consciousness (PBC) questionnaire [56], validated in Italian by Spinelli et al [45] on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 = extremely uncharacteristic to 5 = extremely characteristic. The final individual score for PBC was the sum of the scores (ranging from 5 to 25).…”

Section: Private Body Consciousnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Gender Differences in Fat-Rich Meat Choice: Influence of Personality and Attitudes

et al. 2020

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The innate liking of fats may be due to one or more orosensory, post-ingestive, and metabolic signals; however, individuals differ in their preference for fat in meat. One of the variables that mainly impacts eating behaviors and thus should be carefully analyzed is sex/gender, and while sex (female/male, in a binary approximation) refers only to biological characteristics, gender (woman/man, in a binary approximation) refers to cultural attitudes and behavior. This study aimed at exploring the role of gender, age, taste responsiveness (measured as sensitivity to the bitterness of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP)), personality traits, attitudes, and liking of and familiarity with meat on the choice of fat-rich meat products in 1208 women and men aged 18–66. Both a between- and a within-gender approach were adopted. Results showed that gender had a major impact on liking of and familiarity with meat and choice for fat-rich meat compared to age. A lower liking meat in general was found in women, independently of fat content. Women also reported a lower familiarity than men with fatty meat and cold meat and a lower choice of fat-rich meat. Genders differed in the influence of personality and attitudes about fat-rich meat choice. In both genders, the choice of meat higher in fat was associated with liking cold and fatty meat and with age and negatively with liking low-fat meat. Women were in general more interested in health than men, and this may explain the main difference in the choice of fat-rich meat between genders. However, when we look at each gender separately, general health interest was significantly correlated with a lower choice of fat-rich meat only in men. In addition, in men food neophobia was negatively correlated with choice of fat-rich meat. In women, the emotional dimension was found to play an important role, with sensitivity to disgust that was negatively associated with fat-rich meat choice and emotional eating that was positively associated with it. Thanks to the large sample and the gender-sensitive approach adopted, this study showed that different factors affect choice of fat-rich meat by gender, in addition to liking of and familiarity with fat-rich and cold meat and age. This suggests that strategies personalized by gender to reinforce or activate barriers to this type of consumption may be more effective at reducing fat intake, promoting the consumption of meat lower in fat.

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Section: Private Body Consciousnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Analyses of similarities and differences both between and across genders have been encouraged [43]. Within-gender approaches, namely approaches in which each gender is investigated separately, have been proven to be very effective [44,45], in addition to between-gender studies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender Differences in Fat-Rich Meat Choice: Influence of Personality and Attitudes

et al. 2020

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“…In Western populations, a preference for spicy food is linked to increased adventurousness, sensation seeking, and open-minded attitudes regarding food, reduced food neophobia, as well as increased liking of vegetables and openness to vegetarianism in some cases, all of which translate to more variety and more deviation from the conventional Western diet that is high in meat, salt, sugar, and fat (Byrnes & Hayes, 2016;Carstens et al, 2002;Dalton & Byrnes, 2016;Ludy & Mattes, 2011;Prescott & Stevenson, 1995;Spence, 2018a;Spencer, Kurzer, Cienfuegos, & Guinard, 2018;Spinelli, De Toffoli, Dinnella, et al, 2018;Törnwall et al, 2014). Interestingly though, in cultures where chili is less frequently consumed, a high tolerance for spiciness is associated with masculinity and masculine traits (Byrnes & Hayes, 2015;Rozin & Schiller, 1980;Spence, 2018a).…”

Section: Why Do Some People Like Spicy?mentioning

confidence: 99%

The third dimension of flavor: A chemesthetic approach to healthier eating (a review)

Spencer

Dalton²

2019

Journal of Sensory Studies

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Obesity and obesity‐related illness are an increasingly prevalent problem globally, especially in Western society. One of the largest contributing factors to the obesity pandemic is the modern food environment and food culture. It is necessary to identify and develop strategies to increase the sensory appeal of healthy food and beverage options in order to provide healthy options to consumers without sacrificing the fundamental sensory enjoyment of eating. Since flavor is the largest driver of food intake and choice, it follows that flavor ought to be part of the solution. This paper reviews the potential of chili pepper or capsaicin (the pungent component of chili pepper) as a healthy eating strategy, by increasing energy expenditure, decreasing intake, decreasing eating rate, and enhancing flavor and satisfaction. Furthermore, we suggest a holistic chemesthetic approach to weight management, by using the sensory impact of trigeminal stimulation (spiciness or heat) in foods, rather than medicinally, in order to cross‐modally enhance tastes and odors, increase perceived complexity and overall flavor, increase sensory satisfaction, and decrease salt and caloric intake. Future research directions are discussed. Practical Application It is necessary to provide strategies, such as trigeminal stimulation, global culinary practices, and flavor complexity, to consumers to maintain sensory satisfaction derived from healthier foods and beverages. Healthy does not have to equate to flavorless or unappealing, although it is commonly believed that unhealthy = tasty in the United States. Food can be both healthy and flavorful if we harness our collective sensory and culinary knowledge to generate a satisfying sensory experience. Incorporation of trigeminal stimulation, the third dimension of flavor in addition to taste and aroma, such as capsaicin or hot pepper, is an excellent example of drawing from global cuisines, increasing flavor complexity, and increasing overall flavor impression, in order to boost the sensory appeal, nutrition content, and nutrient absorption of healthy foods and to promote healthier eating.

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“…Several studies have demonstrated that responsiveness to PROP is positively associated with responsiveness to chemosensory stimulation in standard solutions (Hayes et al 2008;Yang et al 2014;Webb et al 2015, Fischer et al 2014Prescott et al 2001) and real food (Dinehart et al 2006;Zhao and Tepper, 2007;Bakke andVickers, 2008, Bajec andPickering, 2008;Masi et al 2015, Spinelli et al 2018. Furthermore, PROP responsiveness was reported to increase discrimination among foods and beverages with systematic variations in tastes, oral irritants (Prescott et al 2004) and textures (de Wijk et al 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual Variation in PROP Status, Fungiform Papillae Density, and Responsiveness to Taste Stimuli in a Large Population Sample

et al. 2018

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Despite considerable research investigating the role of 6-n-propylthiouracil bitterness perception and variation of fungiform papillae density in food perception, this relationship remains controversial as well as the association between the 2 phenotypes. Data from 1119 subjects (38.6% male; 18-60 years) enrolled in the Italian Taste project were analyzed. Responsiveness to the bitterness of 6-n-propylthiouracil was assessed on the general Labeled Magnitude Scale. Fungiform papillae density was determined from manual counting on digital images of the tongue. Solutions of tastes, astringent, and pungent sensations were prepared to be moderate/strong on a general Labeled Magnitude Scale. Four foods had tastants added to produce 4 variations in target sensations from weak to strong (pear juice: citric acid, sourness; chocolate pudding: sucrose, sweetness; bean purée: sodium chloride, saltiness; and tomato juice: capsaicin, pungency). Women gave ratings to 6-n-propylthiouracil and showed fungiform papillae density that was significantly higher than men. Both phenotype markers significantly decreased with age. No significant correlations were found between 6-n-propylthiouracil ratings and fungiform papillae density. Fungiform papillae density variation does not affect perceived intensity of solutions. Responsiveness to 6-n-propylthiouracil positively correlated to perceived intensity of most stimuli in solution. A significant effect of fungiform papillae density on perceived intensity of target sensation in foods was found in a few cases. Responsiveness to 6-n-propylthiouracil positively affected all taste intensities in subjects with low fungiform papillae density whereas there were no significant effects of 6-n-propylthiouracil in those with high fungiform papillae density. These data highlight a complex interplay between 6-n-propylthiouracil status and fungiform papillae density and the need of a critical reconsideration of their role in food perception and acceptability.

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Personality traits and gender influence liking and choice of food pungency

Cited by 85 publications

References 69 publications

Gender Differences in Fat-Rich Meat Choice: Influence of Personality and Attitudes

Gender Differences in Fat-Rich Meat Choice: Influence of Personality and Attitudes

The third dimension of flavor: A chemesthetic approach to healthier eating (a review)

Individual Variation in PROP Status, Fungiform Papillae Density, and Responsiveness to Taste Stimuli in a Large Population Sample

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