Cross-Modal Correspondences Between Temperature and Taste Attributes.

Area of Science:

• Cross-modal perception
• Sensory science
• Consumer psychology

Background:

• Temperature is a key food and drink characteristic, influencing consumer experience beyond intrinsic serving temperature.
• Cross-modal correspondence research shows reliable associations between temperature and other sensory features.
• Sensation transference theory suggests temperature can impact perceived taste and hedonic responses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate mental representations of temperature-taste correspondence.
• To examine how food-extrinsic warmth influences sensory and hedonic perceptions of beverages.
• To understand the link between temperature, taste, and consumer preference.

Main Methods:

• Experiment 1: Assessed associations between temperature words (warm, cool) and sensory/hedonic attributes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter).
• Experiment 2: Evaluated the impact of physical warmth (hot/cold pads) on sensory/hedonic ratings of Japanese tea and coffee before and after tasting.
• Utilized sensory/hedonic attribute ratings and intention-to-buy measures.

Main Results:

• Experiment 1 found 'warm' associated with saltiness, tastiness, healthfulness, and preference, while 'cool' linked to sourness and freshness.
• Experiment 2a showed physical warmth increased perceived healthfulness and purchase intent for Japanese tea.
• Experiment 2b found no significant effect of physical warmth on coffee sensory/hedonic ratings.

Conclusions:

• Findings support a taste-temperature correspondence, where temperature words and physical warmth influence perceptions.
• Food-extrinsic warmth may positively influence certain taste attributes and consumer preference.
• Further research is needed to fully understand the nuances of cross-modal temperature effects on beverage perception.