Labels affect both liking and preference: the better the stimuli, the bigger the preference

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sensory Science

Background:

• Hedonic contrast explains how stimuli can become less appealing after exposure to highly positive ones.
• Hedonic condensation describes the resulting reduction in preference between stimuli.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if reduced preference is solely a byproduct of hedonic contrast.
• To determine if other factors increasing stimulus negativity also reduce preference.

Main Methods:

• Participants rated preferences for paired cheese samples, some labeled as cheese, others as body odor.
• Individual sample intensity and liking were rated after initial paired assessments.

Main Results:

• Labeling samples as body odor, compared to cheese, led to lower liking ratings.
• Participants showed reduced preference between paired samples when they were perceived as more negative (body odor).
• No significant difference in intensity ratings was observed based on the label.

Conclusions:

• Increasing stimulus negativity, independent of hedonic contrast, can reduce preference between stimuli.
• This suggests that more negative stimuli may receive less attention, leading to diminished hedonic discrimination.