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Published on: March 27, 2019
On why music changes what (we think) we taste
Charles Spence1, Ophelia Deroy
1Crossmodal Research Laboratory, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK;
I-Perception
|June 12, 2013
Summary
Sound influences our perception of taste and flavor. Music
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Sensory Science
Background:
- Crossmodal perception links different senses.
- Auditory stimuli can affect gustatory and flavor experiences.
- Previous research suggests music influences wine perception.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how auditory stimuli, specifically music and soundscapes, influence sensory perception.
- To explore the impact of music's emotional attributes on wine perception.
- To examine how pitch in soundscapes affects the perception of sweetness and bitterness.
Main Methods:
- Two independent studies were conducted.
- Study 1: Assessed the influence of music's emotional connotation on wine perception.
- Study 2: Evaluated the effect of low- and high-pitched soundscapes on the perception of a bittersweet toffee.
Main Results:
- Music's emotional attributes significantly altered participants' perception of wine.
- Lower-pitched soundscapes enhanced the perception of bitterness in toffee.
- Higher-pitched soundscapes amplified the perception of sweetness in toffee.
Conclusions:
- Auditory input, including music and soundscapes, demonstrably modulates sensory experiences like taste and flavor.
- Crossmodal interactions between hearing and taste/flavor are complex and warrant further investigation.
- Potential psychological and neuroscientific mechanisms underlying these crossmodal effects are proposed.
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