A network of interconnected brain regions, including orbitofrontal, ventral striatal, amygdala, and midbrain areas, has been widely implicated in a number aspects food reward. However, humans, sensitivity to reward can vary significantly from one person the next. Individuals high this trait experience more frequent intense cravings are likely be overweight or develop eating disorders associated with excessive intake. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we report that individual...

Can basic tastes, such as sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and possibly also umami, be conveyed by means of colour? If so, how should we understand the relationship between colours tastes: Is it universal or relative, innate acquired, unidirectional bidirectional? Here, review growing body scientific research showing that people systematically associate specific with particular tastes. We highlight these widely shared bidirectional crossmodal correspondences generalize across cultures stress...

We report a cross-cultural study designed to investigate crossmodal correspondences between variety of visual features (11 colours, 15 shapes, and 2 textures) the five basic taste terms (bitter, salty, sour, sweet, umami). A total 452 participants from China, India, Malaysia, USA viewed colour patches, textures online had choose term that best matched image then rate their confidence in choice. Across four groups participants, results revealed number certain colours/shapes bitter, sweet...

ABSTRACT Building on existing research into sound symbolism and cross‐modal correspondences, this article proposes that correspondences—systematic mappings between different sensory modalities—can be used to communicate nonmusical, low‐level properties such as basic tastes through music. A series of three experiments demonstrates correspondences enable people systematically encode taste parameters in musical space (Experiment 1), they are able correctly decode information embedded complex...

It has been proposed that impairments in emotion recognition ASD are greater for more subtle expressions of emotion. We measured 6 basic facial at 8 intensity levels young people (6-16 years) with (N = 63) and controls 64) via an Internet platform. Participants were less accurate than labelling across levels, although differences very low not detected due to floor effects. Recognition accuracy did correlate parent-reported social functioning either group. These findings provide further...

Although Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented (AR) user experiences have received large amounts of recent research interest, a direct comparison different immersive technologies' has not often been conducted. This study compared one VR two AR versions an gallery experience ‘Virtual Veronese’, measuring multiple aspects experience, including enjoyment, presence, cognitive, emotional behavioural engagement, using between-subjects design, at the National Gallery in London, UK. Analysis...

Expectations about a food can impact on its taste, but this may represent perceptual change or bias in response at the decision-making stage. We hypothesised that expectation of taste intensity should be underpinned by modulation activity primary cortex. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we found expecting very sweet drink, receiving less enhanced reported sweetness and bolstered cortex, relative to drink without expectation. The activation overlapped with cortex 11 recent...

Judgements of volume may influence the rate consumption alcohol and, in turn, amount consumed. The aim current study was to examine impact size and shape wine glasses on perceptions volume.Online experiment: Participants (n = 360; recruited via Mechanical Turk) were asked match two glasses, specifically: 1. Reference glass holding a fixed reference volume, 2. Comparison glass, for which could be altered until participants perceived it matched volume. One three comparison shown each trial:...

Previous research has demonstrated that typefaces can convey meaning over-and-above the actual semantic content of whatever happens to be written. Here, we demonstrate for first time people match basic taste words (sweet, sour, salty, and bitter) varying in their roundness versus angularity. In Experiment 1, participants matched rounder with word "sweet," while matching more angular "bitter," "salty," "sour." 2 demonstrates are liked judged easier read than counterparts. We conclude there is...

Colors and odors are associated; for instance, people typically match the smell of strawberries to color pink or red. These associations forms crossmodal correspondences. Recently, there has been discussion about extent which these correspondences arise structural reasons (i.e., an inherent mapping between odor), statistical covariance in experience), and/or semantically-mediated stemming from language). The present study probed this question by testing color-odor 6 different cultural groups...

We report on the results of two online experiments designed to compare different soundtracks that had been composed (by various researchers and sound designers) in order evoke/match basic tastes. In Experiment 1, 100 participants listened samples from 24 chose taste (sweet, sour, salty, or bitter) best matched each sample. Overall, sweet most effectively evoked intended by composer (participants 56.9% time for soundtracks), whereas bitter were least effective 31.4% compared with chance...

Computerised cognitive assessments are a vital tool in the behavioural sciences, but participants often view them as effortful and unengaging. One potential solution is to add gamelike elements these tasks order make more intrinsically enjoyable, some researchers have posited that engaging task might produce higher quality data. This assumption, however, remains largely untested. We investigated effects of features test location on data enjoyment ratings from simple task. tested three...

Immersive media is becoming more mainstream but its role in challenging social norms and individuals' behaviours less understood. We implemented a survey at The Green Planet Augmented Reality Experience, one of the largest immersive experiences United Kingdom, investigating potential nature-themed augmented reality (AR) to encourage sustainability beliefs pro-environmental behaviours, with one-month follow-up. A video condition group was also recruited watch 2D screen-capture AR experience....

The aim of the present study was to examine effect embryo source (in vivo v. in vitro) and progesterone environment into which it transferred on Day 7 survival size 13. blastocysts were produced either using superovulation, artificial insemination non-surgical recovery or vitro maturation, fertilisation culture. In order produce animals with divergent concentrations, following synchronisation recipients superovulated (High progesterone; n = 10) not (Control 10). Ten blastocysts, vitro, each...

We report a cross-cultural study designed to investigate whether the type of receptacle in which coloured beverage is presented influences colour-flavour associations that consumers make. Participants from United States America (USA) and China were shown photographs red, green, yellow, blue, orange, brown, clear liquids water glass, wine cocktail plastic cup. The two groups participants exhibited different for brown drinks when these receptacles, suggesting some interesting interactions...

Abstract It has been suggested that the Bouba/Kiki effect, in which meaningless speech sounds are systematically mapped onto rounded or angular shapes, reflects a universal crossmodal correspondence between audition and vision. Here, radial frequency (RF) patterns were adapted order to compare effect Eastern Western participants demonstrating different perceptual styles. Three attributes of RF manipulated: The frequency, amplitude, spikiness sinusoidal modulations along circumference circle....

We report three online experiments designed to assess how the visual composition of elements a commercially-successful dish would be perceived by naïve assessors, in terms their liking and willingness pay. Experiment 1 showed that an upward orientation was preferred as compared when pointed downward/toward observer, or else side. 2 demonstrates optimally orienting plate translates into increased pay for food. In addition, results also revealed both triangle formed principal (onions),...