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• The study looks into modulation of contingent negative variation (CNV) using odors. • No differences could be found between young and old. • Some personality traits were weakly correlated. • Conclusion, odors have little or no effect on the CNV. Although pleasantness is intrinsically related to the perception of odors it is difficult to objectively assess odor-induced pleasantness. To evaluate the effects of odors of different valences on the contingent negative variation (CNV) in a younger and an older population. Data from 62 participants (27 men, 35 women) were included. Two age groups with Age group 1 (YOUNG) had 30 subjects within age 18–30 years and age group 2 (OLD) had 32 subjects with age >40 years. Pre-testing was performed to acquaint subjects with the experimental tasks and their environment. Subjects received "Sniffin' Sticks" odor identification tests and a standardized medical history to ascertain normosmia. In addition, they also took questionnaires relating to importance of the sense of smell and personality traits. CNV was elicited with two auditory stimuli, S1 followed by S2 at an interval of 2.4 s. Subjects were asked to push a button as fast as possible after they perceived S2. EEG was recorded from 4 positions of the 10–20 system (Fp2, Fz, Cz, and Pz). Four odors plus odorless air was presented in randomized order. The following main results emerged: (1) Consistent with the literature CNV showed a typical topographical distribution with the largest amplitude over the front-central recording sites. (2) 69% of subjects had consistent CNV for all conditions. (3) for some odor conditions CNV amplitudes exhibit a weak relation to odor pleasantness and associations with calmness. (4) CNV amplitude correlated negatively with reaction times. Overall, the results suggest the usefulness of CNV as an electrophysiological measure of cognition. However, in the present context, concomitantly applied odors of different hedonic tones exerted only minor effects on CNV. Thus, we conclude that odors have little or no effect on CNV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An experience of an environment is multi-sensory. • The Sensory Walk questionnaire measures and characterizes the sensations in a place. • Different sensory experiences were detected in different areas of a restaurant. • The type and intensity of the sensations affect the pleasantness of the experience. Surrounding plays an important role in well-being and affects behaviour. The experience of the environment is multi-sensory, we perceive different visual, auditory, olfactory, and somatosensory cues, but until today, there has not been a method to measure and characterize the sensory experience of a place systematically. The current paper aims to 1) develop the Sensory Walk Questionnaire, and 2) test the questionnaire in a restaurant environment. The Sensory Walk Questionnaire was developed by reviewing literature and interviewing architectural experts. 318 respondents completed the Sensory Walk Questionnaire in Flavoria(R) Research Restaurant. The study showed that the three test areas in the restaurant; the lobby, the dining area and the waste point differed (p < 0.05) in the perceived odour and sound intensity, in the pleasantness of odours, sounds and visual environment, as well as several sensory descriptors used to characterize these locations. The Sensory Walk Questionnaire provides a valuable tool to measure the sensory quality of places. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Women with and recovered from AN rated imagined and delivered tactile stimuli as less pleasant than healthy controls. • No specific role of the CT-system in tactile anhedonia in AN was found. • Prior beliefs, alexithymia and interoceptive sensibility predict tactile pleasure. • Tactile anhedonia in AN might persist as a trait even after successful recovery. Disruptions in reward processing and anhedonia have long been observed in Anorexia Nervosa (AN). Interoceptive deficits have also been observed in AN, including reduced tactile pleasure. However, the extent to which this tactile anhedonia is specifically liked to an impairment in a specialised, interoceptive C-tactile system originating at the periphery, or a more top-down mechanism in the processing of tactile pleasantness remains debated. Here, we investigated differences between patients with and recovered from AN (RAN) and healthy controls (HC) in the perception of pleasantness of touch delivered in a CT-optimal versus a CT-non-optimal manner, and in their top-down, anticipatory beliefs about the perceived pleasantness of touch. To this end, we measured the anticipated pleasantness of various materials touching the skin and the perceived pleasantness of light, dynamic touch applied to the forearm of 27 women with AN, 24 women who have recovered and 30 HCs using C Tactile (CT) afferents-optimal (slow) and non-optimal (fast) velocities. Our results showed that both clinical groups anticipated tactile experiences and rated delivered tactile stimuli as less pleasant than HCs, but the latter difference was not related to the CT optimality of the stimulation. Instead, differences in the perception of CT-optimal touch were predicted by differences in top-down beliefs, alexithymia and interoceptive sensibility. Thus, tactile anhedonia in AN might persist as a trait even after otherwise successful recovery of AN and it is not linked to a bottom-up interoceptive deficit in the CT system, but rather to a learned, defective top-down anticipation of tactile pleasantness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The presence of a sex asymmetry in the tactile domain has been previously supported. • A meta-analysis is used to quantify sex differences in affective touch perception. • The size of the association does not vary as a function of the examined moderators. • Results are not influenced by publication bias. • Results show that women perceive affective touch as more pleasant than men. The unmyelinated C-tactile afferents system holds a hedonic function in touch experiences, shaping social functioning in the so-called affective touch hypothesis. Despite the fact that females are recognized as more sensitive to discriminative aspects of touch and respond more positively to touch than men, sex differences in the perception of affective touch have not been extensively investigated. We aimed to fill this gap by meta-analyzing existing studies on this topic. Thirteen studies were eligible and pooled effect sizes (Hedges' g) were compared. Random effect models were used. Results, which are not influenced by publication bias, show that there is a sex asymmetry in the pleasantness perceived during an affective tactile stimulation, with females showing higher pleasantness ratings than males. The size of the association does not vary as a function of sex distribution, age and methodological quality. Hormonal as well as evolutionary differences related to the caregiving and nurturing function of females may explain sex differences in affective touch. Results are limited by the small number of studies included in the meta-analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is part of a global collaboration to translate the soundscape attributes proposed in ISO/TS 12913-2:2018, which aims to standardise soundscape research globally. Cross-referencing results from two independent expert panels produced a set of eight soundscape attributes that were subsequently experimentally verified, forming a reliable questionnaire for soundscape characterisation in Mandarin Chinese. Employing the as-developed questionnaire, ex situ auditory-only soundscape perception experiments were carried out with 27 soundscape recordings from urban open spaces in the United Kingdom. The soundscape perception scale was used to evaluate participants' experiences, which were then projected into two dimensions of soundscape perception, pleasantness and eventfulness, following protocols from ISO 12913-3:2019. Physical and psychoacoustic parameters, as well as the characteristics of the sound sources, were extracted from the recordings. These parameters were used together to describe the soundscape characteristics of the recordings. Principal component analysis revealed that, when individuals are exposed to urban open spaces, the salient sound source becomes the foreground focus of attention, informing them to perceive the soundscape. Beyond this, perception stimulation is further based on the acoustic characteristics of the soundscape. Regression analysis investigated factors for pleasantness and eventfulness. For pleasantness, the overall S 95 had a significant negative effect while birdsong was beneficial. With regard to eventfulness, mechanical sound had a detrimental impact, while the number of salient sound source types and the overall F 50 had a positive impact. Furthermore, this study founds that certain types of sound sources make the sound more recognisable as a foreground sound, thereby stimulating perception, while others may be ignored as background sounds but still contribute to the perception through their acoustic characteristics. • A verified Mandarin Chinese translation of the eight soundscape attributes was developed. • Salient sound source type is an important trait that stimulates soundscape perception. • When similar salient sound sources are present, acoustic characteristics (parameters) become the secondary trait. • Multiple regression models were established with factors that contribute to the perception of pleasantness and eventfulness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the recommendation of the European Commission, the railway companies have been replacing the conventional brake system of freight wagons. Since the retrofitting may lead to a change in noise characteristics, we aimed at examining its effectiveness to increase the pleasantness of the sounds. Realistic railway pass-by sounds were synthesized. We conducted a laboratory study with 44 participants who were asked which of pairwise presented sounds they perceived as more pleasant. Preference rankings were derived based on a metric scale. Participants preferred retrofitted freight trains to those with a conventional brake system. The more wagons of a train were retrofitted, the more pleasant the sound was rated. Pleasantness decreased with increasing sound pressure level. Since long-term exposure to unpleasant railway sounds may increase the number of highly annoyed residents, our findings provide important information to policy makers supporting the ban of freight train wagons with conventional brake systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Stressful events vary in uncontrollability, unpredictability and unpleasantness. • Affective reactivity to stressful events in daily life is increased in depression. • In depressed individuals reactivity is selectively increased for unpleasant events. • A multidimensional model yields the most comprehensive image of event stressfulness. Intensive longitudinal data studies on affective reactivity to daily life stress have used various dimensions of stress. Based on an evidence-based conceptual model of stress, the current study included unpredictability, uncontrollability and unpleasantness, and examined whether and how these predict affective reactivity in depressed and non-depressed individuals in daily life. Participants (27 depressed, 27 non-depressed) completed a diary 3 times a day for a period of 30 days. Multilevel analyses were performed to investigate unpleasantness, uncontrollability and unpredictability of daily events as univariate predictors of negative affect (NA). Multivariable models were composed to determine the optimal combination of stress dimensions, and whether the strength of the predictions differed between the depressed and non-depressed groups. Unpleasantness, uncontrollability and unpredictability each predicted subsequent NA independently. However, a combination of all three dimensions, together with an interaction between unpleasantness and uncontrollability, predicted subsequent NA best. The stress dimensions predicted NA more strongly in the depressed than the non-depressed group. This was mostly accounted for by an increased NA response to unpleasantness. Thus, unpleasantness seems to be the most important aspect of daily stress to distinguish depressed from non-depressed individuals. Nevertheless, for a comprehensive assessment of affective reactivity, a multidimensional model of event stressfulness is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Besides numerous other factors, listening experience with cochlear implants is substantially impaired by room acoustics. Even for persons without hearing impairment, the perception of auditory scenes, for example, concerning speech intelligibility, acoustic quality or audibility, is considerably influenced by room acoustics. For CI users, complex listening environments are usually associated with heavy losses. The aim of the present study was to determine room acoustic criteria that particularly influence speech pleasantness for CI users. Accordingly, speech material of the Oldenburg Sentence Test (Oldenburger Satztest , OLSA) as well as basic music material (major and minor triads) were auralized using the software Auratorium which allows auralization of simulated rooms. The constructed rooms for speech stimuli were based on the standard DIN 18041:2016–03 concerning acoustic quality in rooms, the binding standard referred to by room acoustic consultants in Germany, which also includes specifications for inclusive applications in schools. For the music perception tests, two typical concert halls of different sizes were modelled. The auralized test stimuli were unilaterally presented to 10 CI users via their auxiliary input as well as to 18 participants with typical hearing via headphones (control group). Speech pleasantness was evaluated using modified MUSHRA tests. Concerning music perception, chord discrimination was tested using paired comparisons. A strong preference of small source to listener distances by CI users was found, but no significant preference for room acoustic attenuation which exceeded the recommended for inclusive applications in schools. The analyses of the energy-time-structures suggested that a dense concentration of early reflections makes a beneficial impact on CI listeners' pleasantness ratings. Music materials were distinguished more consistently without any room acoustic impact, while any room acoustic impact led to performance close to chance level. This effect is probably due to spectral smearing effects caused by reverberation. These results suggest that in terms of pleasantness of speech, for CI-users, source-to-listener distance is the more influential parameter than room attenuation which goes beyond the German standard recommendation. Reflections from which CI users can benefit seem to occur much earlier than those from which NH listeners benefit. Future studies on chord discrimination concerning room acoustics are needed. • Strong preference of small source-to-listener-distances concerning perceived pleasantness of speech in classroom acoustics by CI users found, but no significant preference of room acoustic attenuation exceeding the recommendation for inclusive applications in schools. • For perceived pleasantness of speech, source-to-listener distance is significantly more influential than room attenuation beyond German standard recommendation in CI-users. • Dense concentration of early reflections makes a beneficial impact on CI listeners pleasantness ratings. Profitable reflections happen earlier than in NH. • New chord discrimanation method for evaluating CI users' music perception in different room acoustics settings suggested. • No significantly different chord discrimination for different room sizes, but more consistent discrimination for non-auralized signals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • CT-targeted touch is associated with slowed corrugator activity. • Temporal dynamics of corrugator reduction reflects conduction velocity of CT-fibers. • CT targeted touch is more pleasant and intense than control touch. • No changes in zygomaticus activity were observed. Abstract Caress-like touch is thought to rely on C-tactile (CT) fiber signaling. Here, the arousing and emotional effects of CT-optimal touch were assessed via participants' skin conductance level (SCL), facial electromyography (EMG) responses and subjective ratings of pleasantness and intensity. Temporal facial EMG analysis was based on the conduction velocity of CT-fibers. 45 healthy participants received CT-optimal touch, control touch and visual control input during 2-minute trials. CT optimal touch was significantly more pleasant and intense than control touch. In the initial 700 ms of stimulation there was no difference in facial EMG responses to touch. Between 700 and 6300 ms there was a significant reduction of corrugator activity in response to CT optimal touch only, possibly reflecting the affective value of CT optimal touch. Based on the temporal dynamics of the reduced corrugator activity, we suggest that CT fibers are involved in mediating a reduction in corrugator activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smellscape has increasingly attracted attentions across disciplines. However, little research provides a model to help understand the perceptual qualities of smellscapes. This paper, taking pleasantness as a perceptual quality dimension, aimed to explore indicators influencing people's pleasantness of smellscapes in a selected case. People's natural speaking language was used as resources to understand their perceptions. Grounded Theory was used as a methodological approach in this study in a selected case. Nineteen participants were recruited for smell walking with semi-structured interviews. Overall, nine indicators emerged from participants' descriptions which contribute to their smellscape pleasantness: cleanliness, preference, appropriateness, naturalness, freshness, familiarity, calmness, intensity and purity. Meanwhile, four types of pleasantness were found according to dominant indicators: preference dominated, healthiness dominated, memories and habituation dominated and context dominated. A perceptual model has been developed based on the indicators which can be used to classify smellscapes through their dominant perceptual features and evaluate smellscape qualities based on pleasantness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical conditioning theories of addiction suggest that stimuli associated with rewards acquire incentive salience, inducing emotional and attentional conditioned responses. It is not clear whether those responses occur without contingency awareness (CA), i.e. are based on explicit or implicit learning processes. Examining implicit aspects of stimulus-reward associations can improve our understanding of addictive behaviours, supporting treatment and prevention strategies. However, the acquisition of conditioned responses without CA has yet to be rigorously demonstrated, as the existing literature shows a lack of methodological agreement regarding the measurement of implicit and explicit processes. The purpose of two experiments presented here was to study the emotional value acquired by CS through implicit emotional and attentional processes, trying to overcome critical methodological issues. Experiment 1 (n = 48) paired two stimuli categories (houses/buildings) with high (HR) or low (LR) probabilities of monetary reward. An Emotional Attentional Blink revealed preferential attention for HR over LR regardless of CA; while pleasantness ratings were unaffected, probably due to the intrinsic nature of CS. Experiment 2 (n = 60) replicated the effect of conditioning on the Emotional Attentional Blink utilising abstract CS (octagons/squares). In addition increased pleasantness for HR over LR was found significant overall, and marginally significant for Aware but not for Unaware participants. Here CA was rigorously determined using a signal-detection analysis and metacognitive-awareness measurements. Bayesian analyses verified the unconscious nature of the learning. These findings demonstrate that attentional conditioned responses can occur without CA and advance our understanding of the mechanisms by which implicit conditioning can occur and becomes observable. Furthermore, these results can highlight how addictive behaviours might develop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery that pleasant touch is coded by C-tactile fibers has generated considerable research interest and increased understanding of the skin as a channel for social information via cutaneous senses. However, no study has differentiated between the pleasant response to visual and tactile non-human stimulations. Our study investigated pleasant touch in which the visual and haptic touch information was obtained from an affective, but non-social experience, by a custom-built non-human device. Participants (n = 19) received soft brush strokes on their lower left arm delivered by a rotary tactile stimulator (physical session) or watched a video of an arm being stroked by a rotary tactile stimulator (visual session). The brush strokes were delivered at the same velocities (0.3, 1, 3, 10, 30 cm/s) and force (0.4 N) in both sessions. After each trial, participants rated the pleasantness of the touch. Analysis of variance was used to assess the effects of velocity and modality (visual touch vs. physical touch) on the pleasantness rating. Participants rated strokes between 1 and 10 cm/s as most pleasant under both conditions. The pleasantness rating patterns differed significantly among velocities; however, no significant differences were found between modalities. Visual and physical (without human-to-human interaction) touch elicited similar behavioral responses, including an inverted U-shaped perception of pleasantness. These findings suggest that the pleasantness of touch is influenced by the velocity of the strokes in both visual and physical touch with a non-human stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Touch has been found to entail positive effects in the person receiving it, whereas effects on the person giving touch have previously been unexplored. We investigated whether stroking the partner also is a pleasant experience for the person performing it, and whether it has similar effects on well-being and autonomic nervous function as being stroked or stroking oneself. Furthermore, we compared the hedonic and autonomic nervous effects of stroking the partner and self-stroking. Methods In the first experiment, 40 subjects stroked the forearm of their respective partner, while ratings of pleasantness were obtained from both Stroker and Receiver. Heart rate was monitored throughout the session and stroking velocity was tracked. The participants could not see each other faces during the experiment to avoid feedback. In experiment 2, the design was replicated with 20 subjects, and self-stroking and rest conditions were added. Results Both stroking the partner and self-stroking were performed within a velocity range optimal for activating C-tactile cutaneous afferents. Being stroked, stroking the partner, and self-stroking were all perceived as pleasant. However, being stroked entailed the significantly highest pleasantness ratings, and being stroked was the only condition that significantly decreased heart rate. Individuals in satisfying relationships were more pleased to be touched by their partner and showed a greater decline in heart rate when being touched. Discussion The data demonstrated a role for affective touch in the regulation of heart rate when being stroked. The absence of autonomic effects when providing the stroking may be due to the absence of visual feedback from the person being stroked. The high pleasantness of giving and receiving touch may foster affective tactile interactions among romantic partners, thus reinforcing the relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that the discriminative and affective aspects of touch are processed differently in the brain. Primary somatosensory cortex is strongly implicated in touch discrimination, whereas insular and prefronal regions have been associated with pleasantness aspects of touch. However, the role of secondary somatosensory cortex (S2) is less clear. In the current study we used inhibitory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to temporarily deactivate S2 and probe its role in touch perception. Nineteen healthy adults received two sessions of 1-Hz rTMS on separate days, one targeting right S2 and the other targeting the vertex (control). Before and after rTMS, subjects rated the intensity and pleasantness of slow and fast gentle brushing of the hand and performed a 2-point tactile discrimination task, followed by fMRI during additional brushing. rTMS to S2 (but not vertex) decreased intensity ratings of fast brushing, without altering touch pleasantness or spatial discrimination. MRI showed a reduced response to brushing in S2 (but not in S1 or insula) after S2 rTMS. Together, our results show that reducing touch-evoked activity in S2 decreases perceived touch intensity, suggesting a causal role of S2 in touch intensity perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decreasing obesity or cardiovascular disease can be achieved by eating healthier foods with reduced contents of fat, salt and sugar. However, these ingredients have a significant impact on the sensory quality of the food products that contain these ingredients, especially cooked sausage, chorizo, dry sausage, cheese and muffins. In this study, consumer appreciation of these five commercialized products (non-reformulated versions) and their respective reformulated versions with reduced contents of salt, fat and sugar was tested. An original home experiment was performed to assess consumer appreciation in natural consumption conditions. The experiment was divided into two steps that correspond to a pleasantness rating and a willingness to pay task. The two measurements were expected to yield comparable results with two aspects of consumer appreciation. Non-reformulated and reformulated versions were compared with a store brand and a trademark in a ranking task to evaluate their pleasantness positioning on the market. This latter experiment, which was conducted in a laboratory, enabled the validation of the home experiment. The results indicated that the cooked sausage reformulation did not maintain consumer appreciation and reduced its positioning on the market. For cheese and muffins, the reformulation did not affect the product pleasantness. The reformulation of dry sausage and chorizo not only maintained consumer appreciation but also increased pleasantness, which was consistent with a higher reservation price of approximately 12% compared to the other samples. For most products in this experiment, new technologies contributed to significant reduction in fat, salt or sugar whilst maintaining consumer appreciation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accommodation sector accounts for 21% of the global CO 2 emissions and the competitiveness of tourism industry in future is primarily depended on hotel energy efficiency which plays a vital role in eco-efficiency of tourist operations. Tourists on pleasure travel prefer hotels which promote environmentally friendly built environment with free-running interiors. Thus the study investigates the design implications of free-running shared spaces and the influence of spatial ambience on thermal adaptation of tourists in tropical coastal hotels. Selected case studies are most popular semi-residential coastal hotels designed by the renowned architect Geoffrey Bawa and the methodology is consists of indoor thermal investigation, structured questionnaire and interview survey. Thermal investigation informs a heat stress indoor thermal environments in the shared spaces. Comparison of the actual sensation with the predicted comfort votes explicitly highlights a discrepancy between the two. Thermally uncomfortable warm interiors are being predominantly perceived as neutral to cool thermal environments. Thus indicates the shared spaces demonstrate a stimulus for adaptive approach and informs to explore the factors influencing the psychological adaptation. Actual experiences of the tourists relaxing in the pool lobby of Heritance (PLH) were evident for the optimum effect of thermal adaptation in comparison to other shared spaces. The attributes of spatial ambience has influenced the feeling of thermal pleasure and pleasantness. These spatial experiences generated through openness and integration of surrounding environment has promoted psychological adaptation of the tourists relaxing in this space to tolerate heat stress indoor microclimates of tropics. Thus the findings of this research determine significance of spatial ambience as a strategy for energy efficiency of tropical hotels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unrelated auditory cues may alter gustatory and hedonic perceptions to food, but it is unclear whether similar effects will be observed with congruent eating-environment sounds. This is the first experimental work to demonstrate how different eating-environment sounds, varying in quality, may influence pleasantness of food samples. In this study, trained participants (n = 90) were separated into two balanced groups. The first group provided temporal pleasantness measurements during consumption of three different chocolate gelati while listening to various eating-environment sounds, and a silent control condition. This procedure was followed using a second group though with the provision of pictures related to the eating-environment sounds. Both psychoacoustical and psychological measures of sound quality were associated with gelati pleasantness. Combined audiovisual cues further amplified pleasantness ratings compared to auditory cues only. The results are further explained in terms of the effects of mood and arousal on sensory perception. Findings from this study may assist in elucidating the real life implications of the effect of sounds on food pleasantness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the strong relationship between human olfaction and emotion, it is not surprising that numerous studies have investigated human response to hedonic and arousing qualities of odors. However, neuropsychological research addressed rather the pleasant–unpleasant, and not the arousing–calming dimension of emotional states generated by odorants. The purpose of the presented fMRI study was to evaluate the differences in cerebral processing of olfactory stimuli, focusing on both of these dimensions of emotional experiences, i.e., pleasantness and arousal. We investigated the patterns of activation generated by odors differing in hedonic tone and generated arousal while controlling the stimuli intensity. This design allowed for a new insight to the emotional odor processing with imaging techniques. The pleasantness was related to activation in the cingulate gyrus, the insula, the hippocampal area, the amygdala, and the superior temporal gyrus, whereas arousal affected activation in the thalamic relay. The present study showed also that the emotional states generated by arousing qualities of odorants are an important determinant of magnitude of cerebral activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence has shown the profound influence of social reputation on human behavior and has implicated the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in representing subjective values induced by social interaction. However, little is known regarding how the vmPFC encodes subjective pleasantness induced by social reputation received from others. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate how the vmPFC in males and females encodes the subjective pleasantness of social reputation received from the same gender and from the opposite gender. Behavioral data showed that positive reputation was perceived to be more pleasant than negative reputation. Intriguingly, both male and female subjects showed greater differences in the pleasantness scores between the positive reputation condition and the negative reputation condition from females than between positive and negative reputations from males. Imaging data revealed that the left vmPFC specifically contributed to the processing of positive reputation. The activity patterns of the vmPFC corresponded to the gender differences in behavior during the processing of social reputation. These results indicate that the vmPFC plays a role in representing the subjective value of positive social reputation and that this region might be a final computational site in a stream of value-based decision-making processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivations to consume a given food or drink differ across consumers. For instance, coffee drinking can be motivated by sensory enjoyment (hedonic motivation) or by stimulation (functional motivation). Today it remains unknown how hedonic vs. utilitarian motivations impact consumer–product interaction. The objective of the present research was to study the impact of both motivations on consumer responses (i.e. pleasantness, emotions, and importance and satisfaction for each of the five senses) during the entire experience of a coffee beverage. Sixty participants drinking coffee beverage either for sensory enjoyment (SENS, n = 30) or to be stimulated (STIM, n = 30) were recruited. Four moments of the product experience were considered: water heating, jar handling, cup preparation and cup drinking. Self-ratings were repeatedly performed by the participants after each moment. SENS participants depicted higher positive emotions than STIM participants and even if similar levels of pleasantness were reached after cup drinking by both groups, levels of pleasantness at water heating and jar handling moments differed. The importance and satisfaction for the different senses also changed according to the participant motivation to drink the coffee beverage. Marketing implications are discussed in terms of communication materials development to more strongly engage consumers with the product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the views of army catering foods in 19–20-year-old Finnish male conscripts. Four to six weeks before starting their service, the conscripts ( n = 407) rated the pleasantness of 36 foods in general, and their expectation of pleasantness “when these foods are served in the army”. After 2 months of service, they rated the experienced pleasantness of the same products and their perceptions of the eating environment (dining hall). Demographic and psychosocial data were also collected. The “before” ratings showed no negative expectations of the foods served in the army, compared to expectations of those foods in general. However, 21 out of 36 foods served in the garrison failed meeting the hedonic expectations, and only six exceeded them. When grouped into categories, Cereal snacks and Sweet items were the best, and Soups and Salads and Fruit the least liked food categories. Sweet items was the only food category rated higher after 2 months of service. Psychosocial instruments did not predict ratings, suggesting that hedonic responses to the dishes represent a shared experience of this male cohort. Neither did the rated comfort of the dining hall relate to the experienced pleasantness of foods eaten in the dining hall. We suggest that the Finnish catering systems prior to the army service (day care, school lunch) raise the young men to accept institutional foods, but the perceived quality of army catering does not quite live up to the expectations. Positive responses to the sweet items in the army can reflect increased need for energy and enjoyment from the food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Heart rate and eyebrow muscle activity are sensitive parameters of affective sound evaluation. • Pupil dilations occur in response to both unpleasant auditory or visual stimulation. • Pupillary reactions are suited to indicate the presence of nature elements in both auditory and visual scenes. • Pupil reaction accounts for audiovisual interactions. • Nature elements in both visual and auditory scenes improve wellbeing, likely by a reduction of overall arousal level. The presence of natural elements in the urban environment improves wellbeing. Comparisons of different psychophysiological reactions to both auditory and visual perceptions of urban environments are employed as a method for shedding light on the mechanisms involved in audiovisual interaction, by which visual context influences auditory perception, and vice versa. Combining psychophysical and physiological methodologies is likely to improve our understanding of the perceptual consequences of variations in the presence of nature in the city. In the present study, 61 participants, mainly students, were exposed to urban soundscapes accompanied by street scenes. Audio excerpts of bird song or road traffic were paired with images with or without vegetation. Half of the participants (n = 30) were asked to judge the auditory pleasantness after each audiovisual presentation, whereas the other half (n = 31) judged the visual pleasantness of the scene. Heart rate, pupil area, gaze fixations and electromyography of the eyebrow muscle (corrugator supercilii) were concurrently recorded. We demonstrated a strong perceptual audiovisual interaction: auditory pleasantness was higher when accompanied by a natural visual context, and visual pleasantness was higher when accompanied by natural sounds. Electromyography and heart rate were particularly sensitive to the presence of nature in the soundscapes, whereas gaze behavior discriminated only visual nature elements. The natural sounds were associated with lower heart rate and less corrugator supercilii electromyographic activity, whereas natural images were associated with slower gaze behavior. Pupil area was sensitive to both auditory and visual stimulations. The pupil was relatively constricted by all natural stimuli and discriminated different unpleasant traffic noise samples and the modulation of visual pleasantness by these sounds. This suggests a distinctive role of arousal level in the modulation of pupil reactions, which appear well suited to study audiovisual interactions and the perceptual effects of natural elements in urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: The hedonic value of odors is reflected in chemosensory evoked potentials with more salient unpleasant odors being processed differently from pleasant odors. However, it is not known if this effect is stable over time. It was examined if chemosensory evoked potentials towards pleasant and unpleasant odors change with repeated presentation. Methods: 42 participants received two pleasant (Peach and PEA) and one unpleasant (H2S) intensity matched odors in a block design. Intensity and pleasantness were rated after each presentation. Subjective ratings, as well as N1 and P2 of the first stimulus of each block were compared with the two following stimuli of each block. Results: Early and late components of the chemosensory evoked potentials had shorter latencies in response to the unpleasant H2S compared to PEA and Peach. Pleasantness ratings for H2S increased with repeated presentation but were far below neutral even for the third stimulus in a row. In line with this, for H2S only, the P2 amplitude diminished with repeated presentation. Conclusion: We assume that unpleasant stimuli catch more attention first hand. However, repeated presentation leads to reduced emotional salience of unpleasant stimuli only, which is mirrored in a decrease of neuronal activation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Soundscapes provide complex auditory experiences with emotional content, but there are few and limited objective tools available to investigate the relative benefits of soundscape elements. As part of the Positive Soundscapes (UK) project, the effects of individual soundscape elements on the subjective assessment of pleasantness and arousal were compared with associated physiological responses: Heart Rate (HR), Respiratory Rate (RR) and forehead electromyography (EMG) levels. Eighty subjects listened to 18×8s sound-clips from soundscapes. HR, RR and EMG were recorded and the subjective pleasantness and arousal were assessed on 9 point scales. The data were analysed via a linear mixed-model ANOVA. Listening to sound-clips lowered HR slightly but significantly. Male subjects had significantly lower HR before and during sound-clips than female subjects. More unpleasant sound-clips caused larger falls in HR, which was greater in males. Listening to a sound-clip raised RR slightly but significantly. The more pleasant the sound-clip was judged the greater was the rise in RR. This direct relationship between pleasantness and RR response was greater in males. The EMG tended to be raised by unpleasant sound-clips, in both males and females. Distinctive relationships were found between physiological measurements and the subjective estimates of the pleasantness of the presented sound-clips. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Basic taste solutions induce sensory perceptions via taste receptors and give rise to specific facial reactions. Many of these have been shown to be innate. The aim of this study was to explore relationships between the sensory perception of basic taste solutions at different concentrations and facial reactions. Basic taste solutions each at three levels plus water were served to a panel. The assessors individually identified quality, intensity and pleasantness. They were recorded during tasting and their facial reactions (based on FACS) were coded and analysed. Facial reactions indicated both quality and concentration of the stimuli. The intensity of most facial reactions increased with increasing stimulus concentration, most pronounced for sourness (lips) and bitterness (eyes and forehead). Pleasantness ratings decreased with increasing concentrations of all basic tastes. Water and the lowest sucrose concentration were perceived as the most pleasant samples and gave rise to the lowest intensity of facial reactions. The study showed that a combination of sensory analyses and facial expressions was successful in adding further insight to the knowledge of perception of basic tastes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Recent work on odor hedonics in schizophrenia has indicated that patients display abnormalities in hedonic judgments of odors in comparison to healthy comparison participants. In the current study, identification accuracy for pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant odors in individuals with schizophrenia and healthy controls was examined. Thirty-three schizophrenia patients (63% male) and thirty-one healthy volunteers (65% male) were recruited. The groups were well matched on age, sex, and smoking status. Participants were administered the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test, which was subsequently divided into 16 pleasant, 15 neutral, and 9 unpleasant items. Analysis of identification z-scores for pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant odors revealed a significant diagnosis by valence interaction. Post-hoc analysis revealed that schizophrenia participants made more identification errors on pleasant and neutral odors compared to healthy controls, with no differences observed for unpleasant odors. No effect was seen for sex. The findings from the current investigation suggest that odor identification accuracy in patients is influenced by odor valence. This pattern of results parallels a growing body of literature indicating that patients display aberrant pleasantness ratings for pleasant odors and highlights the need for additional research on the influence of odor valence on olfactory identification performance in individuals with schizophrenia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Consumer products can evoke a wide range of emotional responses. Nevertheless, these responses deviate from the emotions studied in the majority of the emotion literature. Whereas the general emotion literature tends to focus mainly on negative emotions, the emotions elicited by products tend to be mainly positive. Negative emotions concur with action tendencies. They tend to signal events that require immediate responses, because they are vital for survival. In contrast, people will only be persuaded to invest time, effort, and money in acquiring products, if they are likely to generate positive emotions. Apart from being experienced as pleasant, positive emotions also widen the array of thoughts and actions that come to mind and, thereby, contribute to people’s personal skills and resources. To investigate the subtleties of product emotions in more detail, we need additional theories and instruments that are specifically developed to describe, measure, and explain the concerns and appraisals that differentiate between positive emotions typically experienced in human–product relationships. In addition, we would like to determine the consequences for interacting with products: what kinds of behaviors are activated by the different emotions and how do they affect product experiences? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Alexithymia is characterized by a marked inability to identify feelings and emotional states and some studies have documented sensorial perception in response to visual or auditory cues in this disease. Although olfaction is well known for its emotional correlates, the perception of olfactory stimulations has not been previously investigated. This study compares with standard psychophysical methods the olfactory sensitivity and the self-ratings of intensity and hedonic valence of a panel of odorants in alexithymic patients, non-alexithymic patients and control subjects. Results show that alexithymics over-evaluate intensity and pleasantness of odorants compared to non-alexithymics or control subjects. This could be interpreted in the framework of a lack of inhibitory control including this particular sense. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Warmth is an important characteristic for clothes, home interior and some leisure related products. We used an experimental approach to determine the relative importance of material and colour for the product experience of warmth. We designed products (scarves and breakfast trays) using warm and cold stimuli (colours and materials) in four different combinations and asked respondents to evaluate the warmth and pleasantness of each product. The results demonstrated that both colour and material contribute equally to the judgments of warmth in both products. However, the pleasantness of a product could not be predicted on the basis of the pleasantness attributed to its colour and material. A follow-up interview study distinguished between the literal and figurative meanings of warmth. The literal meaning is related to physical warmth and comfort. The figurative meaning is associated with social interaction, intimacy and friendly atmosphere. The figurative meaning was mentioned more often in association with products than the literal meaning. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The hedonic attributes of tactile stimulation are important to one''s quality of life, yet they have rarely been studied scientifically. The earliest experimental investigations suggested soft and smooth materials as pleasant, those that were stiff, rough, or coarse as unpleasant. More recent studies conducted by the authors and described herein obtained ratings of pleasantness of different textured materials stroked across the skin of multiple body sites at controlled velocities and forces of application. Statistically significant interactions between materials, sites, velocities, forces and subject sex attest to the complexity of the percept. Less pleasant percepts arose from stimuli that were rougher. However, the difficulty in making further general statements regarding hedonic touch raises questions as to whether the body surface can be mapped affectively in a meaningful manner with a single stimulus and indeed whether pleasantness-to-touch can be viewed as a unidimensional construct. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • Adding subharmonics can increase perceived pleasantness of vehicle interior sounds. • An increase of noise level leads to lower magnitude of tonal content and pleasantness. • An increase in magnitude of tonal content does not always imply a lower pleasantness. • Pitch seems of tonal content plays an important role in pleasantness. The level of the interior sound of electric vehicles is substantially lower than that of combustion vehicles. Due to this low sound pressure level, the tonal components originating from the electric powertrain are often audible within the vehicle interior. The perception of tonal components can be characterized by the psychoacoustic perceived magnitude of tonal content (MOTC). The tonal components usually have high frequencies and have a negative impact on the perceived sound quality. For different driving conditions, the present study investigates the impact of stimulus alterations on the pleasantness and perceived MOTC of synthesized electric vehicle interior sounds. All synthesized sounds contained frequency sweeps mimicking electric motor orders and a background noise simulating the tire-road and wind-noise components. An amplitude modulation was applied to the synthetic orders to simulate the structural resonances within the vehicle. It is investigated how adding subharmonics of the electric motor orders and changing the background noise level alter the perceived MOTC and pleasantness of the sound. The addition of subharmonics tends to increase both the pleasantness and the MOTC. In contrast, the increase of the background noise level has a negative effect on both parameters, presumably due to the increase of loudness and the partial masking of low-frequency subharmonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nasal chemical sensations are mediated principally by the olfactory and the trigeminal systems. Over the last few years brain structures involved in processing of trigeminal stimuli have been more and more documented. However, the exact role of individual regions in stimulus intensity processing is unclear. The present study set out to examine the neural network involved in encoding stimulus intensity in the trigeminal system and the olfactory system of humans. Participants were presented with two concentrations of relatively specific trigeminal stimuli (CO2) and olfactory (H2S), respectively. Responses were assessed by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Whereas brain responses to stimulus intensity in the olfactory modality involved a wide neural network including cerebellum, entorhinal cortex, visual areas, and frontal regions, contrasting high and low CO2 concentrations revealed activation in a less complex network including various sub-regions of the cingulate cortex. Taken together, these results suggest separate but overlapping neural networks involved in encoding stimulus intensity in the two chemosensory systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Recently, we found that healthy young adults remember odors leading to large emotional reactions better than odors provoking smaller emotional reactions. Because the amygdala is believed to be critically implicated in memory for emotionally arousing information and because it is part of the primary olfactory area, we hypothesized that patients with a unilateral medial temporal-lobe resection including the amygdala would not show enhanced memory for arousing compared to nonarousing odors. We tested odor memory in 19 patients (10 left, 9 right) who had undergone a unilateral medial temporal-lobe resection including the amygdala (MTLR) for treatment of intractable epilepsy and 19 healthy control subjects. Healthy individuals and patients with left or right MTLR showed comparable subjective emotional reactions to odors. Similarly, healthy individuals and patients with MTLR remembered unpleasant odors better than pleasant ones. However, unlike healthy individuals, patients with MTLR did not show better memory for emotionally arousing odors compared to nonarousing ones. Patients undergoing a MTLR, whether in the left or right hemisphere, lose the specific memory advantage that odors causing strong emotional reactions normally have. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: Clinical studies suggest that olfactory sensitivity is reduced in major depression. Nevertheless, only little is known about the relationship between depressive symptoms and olfactory functions in healthy subjects. Methods: The present study investigated the association between depressive symptoms and olfactory performance in 48 healthy subjects (14 male). First depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory, following by olfactory testing. Olfactory threshold and discrimination performance was assessed as well as emotional arousal and pleasantness during the testing procedure. Results: We observed a significant negative correlation between olfactory sensitivity and depressive symptoms while olfactory discrimination was not related to depressive symptoms. Limitations: The degree of depressive symptoms was assessed by questionnaire. A clinical interview might assess depressive symptoms more accurate. Conclusion: We conclude that depressive symptoms are related to a reduced olfactory sensitivity. The observed relation between reduced olfactory sensitivity and depressive symptoms could be mediated by functional deviations within brain structures subserving primary olfactory processing such as amygdala and piriform cortex which is in line with results showing abnormal activity pattern in the amygdala and other brain regions in depression. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An experimental method for event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging that allows for the presentation of several chemosensory stimuli in the oral cavity during the same run, the collection of psychophysical measures (intensity or pleasantness) during the presentation of the stimuli, and the analysis of the data in an event-related fashion are described. The automatic pumps used to present taste stimuli allowed for multiple tastes to be delivered in small amounts under computer control. Psychophysical ratings of pleasantness or intensity were collected after each presentation of a taste stimulus and water, with the general labeled magnitude scale, using a joystick that controlled the movement of an arrow on the visual display. Performing these cognitive tasks required that the participant remained focused, and aided in the interpretation of the data collected. The perceived pleasantness differed across stimuli for all conditions; however, pleasantness ratings for the same stimulus displayed consistency, over the duration of the run and before each scan on separate days. Activation in response to sucrose and caffeine while the participant rated pleasantness was found in the insula, frontal operculum, rolandic operculum and orbitofrontal cortex which is consistent with previous taste fMRI studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The effect of a repeated monotonous exposure on ad libitum intake, pleasantness and boredom in elderly people in a real life situation is unclear. We therefore investigated the effects of repeated exposure to ad libitum intake of three orange-based drinks on boredom and acceptance in young and elderly people. Young (n =32) and elderly women (n =36) participated in a randomized within subjects cross over trial with three intervention periods of 12 days each followed by a 2-day wash out period. During each intervention period, the participants received 1 L of one type of drink per day. The three drinks varied in sweetness intensity. Intake was measured by weighing the returned packets and pleasantness, boredom and sweetness were rated on a 10-point scale. For the young women, mean consumption of the three drinks (p <0.01) and pleasantness decreased (p <0.01) and boredom increased (p <0.001). For the elderly women, consumption increased (p =0.03) whereas pleasantness (p =0.34) and boredom (p =0.40) were stable. In the young women, the orange peach drink which had the highest sugar content contributed the most to the effect of the repeated exposure. The consumption and pleasantness ratings for this drink decreased (r =−1.05, p =0.01 and r =−0.07, p =0.007, respectively) and boredom increased (r =0.12, p <0.001). In conclusion, elderly women experienced no increased boredom whereas young women did. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Previous laboratory studies have reported that moderate caffeine consumers develop a liking for the flavour of a novel caffeinated drink. The present study tested whether results from laboratory studies are applicable to real-life situations. Forty moderate caffeine consumers were randomly allocated to four conditions (n =10). Three of these conditions involved consumption of two novel flavoured fruit drinks, one caffeinated (100mg) and one without caffeine, at different times of the participants’ daily routine (breakfast, anytime, night). Participants in the final (control) condition evaluated the drinks on the three test days only. Those participants who received the drinks at breakfast showed a significant increase in liking for the flavour of the caffeinated drink, whereas those who consumed the drinks at night showed a significant decrease in liking for the same flavour. Results imply that the post-ingestive effect of caffeine may depend on the time and condition during which the caffeinated flavour is consumed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: The purpose of this study was (1) to determine the psychophysical character of auditory-perceptual ratings of voice pleasantness (VP) and voice acceptability (VA) for tracheoesophageal (TE) speakers using direct magnitude estimation (DME) and equal-appearing interval (EAI) scaling procedures and (2) to determine the relationship between listeners'' ratings of VP and VA. Ten adult listeners judged overall VP and VA from connected speech samples produced by 20 adult male TE speakers. Although results yielded a prothetic continuum for VP and a metathetic continuum for VA, the amount of variance accounted for by a curvilinear model of VP was minimally more than that accounted for by a linear model. Results also revealed a significant relationship between VP and VA (r =0.939). Findings from this study do not suggest any greater validity associated with VP and VA ratings obtained by the DME than the EAI method. As a result of the significant relationship between these ratings and to the ease of applying EAI scales, it is recommended that VA be used as a current clinical outcome measure. These data illustrate the need to identify attributes that best describe TE speech that are measured appropriately and are clinically useful. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To examine the effects of manipulating pleasantness on subsequent energy intake following a moderate dose of alcohol, 12 males attended the laboratory on four occasions. On each occasion participants consumed breakfast then 4 h later were offered lunch. Twenty minutes before lunch participants received an alcohol (24 g ethyl alcohol, 1508 kJ, 405 ml) or a no-alcohol (867 kJ, 405 ml) containing beverage followed by a lunch of either “bland” (rated pleasantness=66±13 mm) or “flavoured” (73±10 mm) foods. Subjective ratings of appetite, mood and pleasantness of several bland and tasty foods were taken before and after preloads and lunch. Ad libitum energy intake at lunch was greater following alcohol in both taste conditions (p&#60;0.01) (Alcohol/Bland, 2053±663 kJ; Alcohol/Flavoured, 1989±580 kJ) in comparison to the no-alcohol conditions (No-alcohol/Bland, 1548±357 kJ; No-alcohol/Flavoured 1670±401 kJ). No additive effect of palatability and alcohol was found; alcohol did not differentially affect intake of lunch items. Nor did alcohol increase the pleasantness of foods. Sensory specific satiety (SSS) was observed both following the preload and following lunch, with no discernible effects of alcohol on SSS. In conclusion, alcohol promoted food intake but this did not occur via the additive effects of alcohol and palatability nor through increasing the pleasantness of the taste of foods. Further research on the mechanism underlying the stimulating effects of alcohol on appetite is warranted. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: It has previously been suggested that the perceived pleasantness of a food item in any situation may be directly related to the physiological usefulness of that item to the consumer in that situation. This study investigated changes in the perceived pleasantness of fluids before and after fluid loss through exercise—an everyday situation in which physiological need can alter. Total of 40 exercisers achieving high fluid loss (Group H) and 41 exercisers achieving low fluid loss (Group L) rated seven fluids of varying osmolality, electrolyte content, and energy content on measures of pleasantness, before and after exercise. After fluid loss compared to before fluid loss, perceived pleasantness of all fluids increased (F(1,79)=14.58, p&#60;0.01), and effects were greater in Group H compared to Group L (F(1,79)=8.29, p&#60;0.01). Perceived pleasantness was also significantly higher for fluids of lowest osmolality (F(6,474)=2.14, p&#60;0.05), and effects were again greater in Group H compared to Group L (F(6,474)=2.10, p&#60;0.05). Both findings suggest that perceived pleasantness is related to physiological usefulness, and can be demonstrated in everyday situations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Animal studies suggest that induction of depression-like states may alter preference for sweet tastants. A major goal of the present study was to search for correlations between depressive symptoms measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and taste responses to sweet and bitter substances. Thirty-three nonclinical volunteers rated intensity and pleasantness of chocolate and vanilla milk as well as of sucrose- and quinine-soaked filter paper disks. Reactivity to citric acid (sour) and sodium chloride (salty) was also tested with the paper disk methodology. Taste detection thresholds were assessed by means of electrogustometry. A weak inverse relationship was found between the BDI scores (range: 3–33) and rated intensity of paper disks soaked in 60% sucrose. No correlations were found between depressive symptoms and intensity, pleasantness or identification of the other samples. Similarly, there was no relationship between the BDI scores and responses to chocolate and vanilla milk. BDI scores were not associated with electrogustometric thresholds. These data suggest that depressive symptoms may not influence taste reactivity in nonclinical population. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Food intake is an essential human activity regulated by homeostatic and hedonic systems in the brain which has mostly been ignored by the cognitive neurosciences. Yet, the study of food intake integrates fundamental cognitive and emotional processes in the human brain, and can in particular provide evidence on the neural correlates of the hedonic experience central to guiding behaviour. Neuroimaging experiments provide a novel basis for the further exploration of the brain systems involved in the conscious experience of pleasure and reward, and thus provide a unique method for studying the hedonic quality of human experience. Recent neuroimaging experiments have identified some of the regions involved in the cortical networks mediating hedonic experience in the human brain, with the evidence suggesting that the orbitofrontal cortex is the perhaps strongest candidate for linking food and other kinds of reward to hedonic experience. Based on the reviewed literature, a model is proposed to account for the roles of the different parts of the orbitofrontal cortex in this hedonic network. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of hedonic tests on apple juice carried out in a sensory laboratory, University common room and at home (post-consumption test) on ad libitum home consumption measured over 5 consecutive days. Thirty-five elderly volunteers (59–88 years old) and 33 young subjects (20–30 years old) assessed the degree of liking five apple juices varying in sweetness (0, 2, 4, 7 and 10% w/w sucrose added) on a nine-point hedonic scale. Both age groups judged similarly the juice with the lowest sugar concentrations, whereas the juice with 2% sugar added received lower scores from the elderly compared to the young participants. Those samples with higher sweetness (4, 7 and 10%) received higher scores from the elderly compared to the young people. The sample with no sugar added had higher mean score (all the subjects) in the home test (6.92±1.78) compared to both laboratory (5.51±2.15) and common room (5.92±2.08). No such differences were observed for the juices with the other sugar contents. In the elderly group, 1-day intake of apple juice remained on a similar level, regardless of sweetness liking, while among young adults the intake varied, and was highest for juices that were liked most (with 0 and 2% sucrose added). The results showed that hedonic ratings have a limited value as predictors of fruit juice consumption at home. The correlation between rated degree of liking and intake was low, especially for the elderly (r=0.39), indicating that factors other than pleasantness may affect intake. Among three test conditions, the lowest correlation of juice intake was obtained with laboratory test results (r=0.38), relatively higher—when hedonic tests were conducted in common room setting (r=0.49), or as the post-consumption test at home (r=0.73). Further research is required on sensory procedures relevant for the elderly, which together with some other nonsensory factors, would give a better prediction of consumption. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Evaluation of the pleasantness of odours is an important function of the olfactory system. Electrodermal recordings monitor activity in the autonomic nervous system and it has been hypothesized that such measurements could be especially valuable for investigations of affective processes in the olfactory system. In this study we measured changes in skin conductance on both hands while subjects were exposed birhinally to two pleasant and two unpleasant odours. All odours were iso-intense and non-trigeminal. We wanted to test the hypothesis that skin conductance is contra laterally governed. Furthermore, we tested the hypothesis that unpleasant odours produce larger skin conductance responses than pleasant odours. Our results indicate that there are differential skin conductance responses to different odours, but we did not find that unpleasant odours in general produce larger skin conduction responses than pleasant odours. Neither did we find support for the hypothesis that skin conduction is contralaterally governed. Rather, our data are consistent with the existence of an ipsilateral system for the control of emotional responses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

It has been shown repeatedly that opioid dependence is associated with increased consumption of refined sugars. It is possible that this association results from altered taste reactivity in opioid-dependent subjects. Thus, in the present study, we compared taste responses to sweet, bitter, sour and salty solutions in methadone-maintained opioid-dependent men and healthy control subjects. The two groups did not differ in terms of rated intensity or pleasantness of sucrose (1–30%), quinine (0.001–0.005%), citric acid (0.02–0.1%) and sodium chloride (0.18–0.9%) solutions. Proportions of ‘sweet-likers’, i.e. subjects rating a 30% sucrose (0.88 M) solution as the most pleasant, were also similar in both groups. In line with the previous findings, the methadone-maintained subjects reported adding more table sugar to caffeinated beverages. The results of the present study suggest that changes in taste reactivity may not be responsible for altered dietary choices in opioid addicts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hedonic tone is so salient in odor perception that several authors have used odors to induce affective states. Various studies have shown that the electrophysiological and psychophysiological response patterns induced by olfactory stimuli are different for pleasant and unpleasant odors, and that these types of odor activate brain structures differentially. These results suggest that odors are first categorized according to pleasantness. The objective of the present work was to study the possible existence of an involuntary affective categorization in olfaction. Given that certain variations in the autonomic system, such as skin conductance amplitude and heart rate, are not under the voluntary control of human subjects, we used such psychophysiological methods for this investigation. Our results indicate that unpleasant odors provoke heart-rate acceleration during both a smelling task (control condition: a task in which subjects had only to inhale odors) and a pleasantness judgment, but not during a familiarity judgment. These results suggest that subjects involuntarily categorize odors by their pleasantness. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Intensity of binary odor mixtures of food odorants is shaped by perceptual interactions. • In most cases, the odor intensity of binary mixtures is close to the stronger component. • In almost all cases, the components' odors could be perceived within the mixture. • Odor masking occurred more frequently when pleasantness was different between the components. • Statistically significant synergy was observed in less than 1% of cases. This study explored the impact of perceptual interactions on the odor intensity of 222 binary mixtures designed from 72 odorants found in food products. Odor intensity was rated by 30 trained subjects. The results showed that in most cases, the components' odor was perceived within the mixture and their intensity remained the same as in the unmixed situation in 54.3% of cases. Masking was the second major effect (44.8%) and occurred more frequently when components' pleasantness was significantly different. Synergy occurred in a small number of cases (0.9%) and only for four compounds. The overall odor intensity of the mixture was determined to be equal to the strongest component in most cases (73.9%), while partial addition was observed as the second most frequent effect (21.7%), especially when the components had equal intensity. Overall, this work provides general rules about the outcome to expect when mixing key components of food aromas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract: A study of olfactory function was performed in 15 bronchial cancer patients receiving cisplatin and 15 control subjects. Whereas odor detection and odor identification abilities were not influenced by the administration of cisplatin, a decrease in pleasantness was observed only for food odors, and not for non-food odors. Taken as a whole, these findings suggest that cisplatin therapy in bronchial cancer patients impairs the pleasure of perceived food odors, which may account for disturbances in food intake and quality of life in this population. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The objective of the present studies is to investigate whether sounds from water fountains at Singapore can be used to mask undesired noises such as noises from construction site and food court. The studies were conducted through field measurements and questionnaire survey. 8 water fountains which located at famous landscapes of Singapore were selected. In the survey, 110 respondents were asked to rank their perceptions of pleasantness and calming toward water sounds, masking sounds and noises. Effects of age, gender and exposure frequency on these perceptions were also analyzed. By overall through the survey data, water sounds were found to be more pleasant and more calming than masking sounds while masking sounds were better than pure noises. For age effect, it was found that respondents who are 40 and above 40 years old had higher requirement towards standards of pleasant and calming. The effect of gender on human perceptions toward noises, water and masking sounds was negligible. Based on the survey data, it is suggested that sound from water fountain is suitable to be used as masking sound in a high population density country like Singapore since they have beautiful appearance, no need additional installation space like other noise reduction device and free of the issue of air and sunshine blocking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]