Individuals' Food Preferences can be Influenced by the Music Styles: An ERP Study

Area of Science:

• Multisensory perception
• Food psychology
• Neuroscience of eating behavior

Background:

• Cross-modal associations between auditory stimuli (music) and gustatory experiences (food) are increasingly recognized.
• Understanding how music influences food preferences is crucial for multi-sensory research and dietary interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of different music styles on individuals' food preferences.
• To explore the neural correlates of music-induced food choice using electroencephalography (EEG).

Main Methods:

• Twenty-seven participants underwent a food choice task after listening to classical, jazz, rap, or rock music.
• Behavioral data on food selection (high- vs. low-calorie) and electroencephalography (EEG) event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded simultaneously.
• Pearson correlation analysis examined relationships between body satisfaction, body mass index (BMI), and ERPs.

Main Results:

• Participants chose more high-calorie foods during jazz and rock music, and low-calorie foods during classical music.
• Distinct ERP patterns (N1, N450, P2, P3 amplitudes) varied across music conditions, irrespective of food choice.
• Positive correlation found between body satisfaction and P3 amplitudes; BMI negatively correlated with body satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• Music style significantly modulates food preferences, impacting high- and low-calorie food selections.
• Specific ERP components reflect music's influence on cognitive processing during food choices.
• Findings offer novel insights into healthy eating promotion through auditory environmental manipulation.