The Role of Sound Valence In Shaping Taste Perception Across Different Sound Environments

The sensory characteristics of the environments where food and beverages are consumed daily can play an important role in shaping taste perception in individuals. Recent research has shown that modifying external sensory stimuli, such as auditory cues from the environment, can influence taste experiences of sweetness and bitterness through cross-modal interactions. Understanding how different sound environments moderate consumers’ taste perception can lead to designing the human experience by manipulating the sound environments. Here, through a laboratory study, we assessed the acoustics and psychoacoustics metrics of seven different sound environments (i.e., from tranquil parks to noisy food courts) where people consume everyday food and beverages: a hotel breakfast room, a food court, a café, a bar, a corner with a vending machine, a green urban park, and piazza. Importantly, while listening to soundtracks of the sound environments, participants rated their valence and the taste perception of unsweetened orange juice. Cluster-based analyses and linear regressions were employed to evaluate the correspondence between valence and taste perception of different sound environment clusters. Regression analyses demonstrated a significant positive relationship between sound valence and sweetness perception, with the cluster of lower sound levels exhibiting the strongest impact.