Bittersweet Findings: Round Cups Fail to Induce Sweeter Taste

An increasing body of literature demonstrates that consumers associate visual information with specific gustatory elements. This phenomenon is better known as cross-modal correspondence. A specific correspondence that has received attention of late is the one between round forms and sweet taste. Res...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Casparus J. A. Machiels
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2018-02-01
Series:Beverages
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.mdpi.com/2306-5710/4/1/12
id doaj-83b07e08e3374ff6b04e23b390461c92
record_format Article
spelling doaj-83b07e08e3374ff6b04e23b390461c922020-11-25T00:01:21ZengMDPI AGBeverages2306-57102018-02-01411210.3390/beverages4010012beverages4010012Bittersweet Findings: Round Cups Fail to Induce Sweeter TasteCasparus J. A. Machiels0Department A & F Marketing—Consumer Psychology, Faculty of Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences, Kiel University, Wilhelm-Seelig-Platz 6/7, 24098 Kiel, GermanyAn increasing body of literature demonstrates that consumers associate visual information with specific gustatory elements. This phenomenon is better known as cross-modal correspondence. A specific correspondence that has received attention of late is the one between round forms and sweet taste. Research indicates that roundness (as opposed to angularity) is consistently associated with an increased sweetness perception. Focusing on two different cup forms (round versus angular), two studies tested this association for a butter milk drink and a mate-based soft drink. Results, however, were not able to corroborate the frequently suggested correspondence effect, but a correspondence was found between the angular cup and a more bitter taste for the soft drink. These results are discussed in light of previous findings matching sweetness with roundness and bitterness with angularity, hopefully aiding researchers in this field in conducting future experiments.http://www.mdpi.com/2306-5710/4/1/12cross-modal correspondenceshapetastebeverage
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Casparus J. A. Machiels
spellingShingle Casparus J. A. Machiels
Bittersweet Findings: Round Cups Fail to Induce Sweeter Taste
Beverages
cross-modal correspondence
shape
taste
beverage
author_facet Casparus J. A. Machiels
author_sort Casparus J. A. Machiels
title Bittersweet Findings: Round Cups Fail to Induce Sweeter Taste
title_short Bittersweet Findings: Round Cups Fail to Induce Sweeter Taste
title_full Bittersweet Findings: Round Cups Fail to Induce Sweeter Taste
title_fullStr Bittersweet Findings: Round Cups Fail to Induce Sweeter Taste
title_full_unstemmed Bittersweet Findings: Round Cups Fail to Induce Sweeter Taste
title_sort bittersweet findings: round cups fail to induce sweeter taste
publisher MDPI AG
series Beverages
issn 2306-5710
publishDate 2018-02-01
description An increasing body of literature demonstrates that consumers associate visual information with specific gustatory elements. This phenomenon is better known as cross-modal correspondence. A specific correspondence that has received attention of late is the one between round forms and sweet taste. Research indicates that roundness (as opposed to angularity) is consistently associated with an increased sweetness perception. Focusing on two different cup forms (round versus angular), two studies tested this association for a butter milk drink and a mate-based soft drink. Results, however, were not able to corroborate the frequently suggested correspondence effect, but a correspondence was found between the angular cup and a more bitter taste for the soft drink. These results are discussed in light of previous findings matching sweetness with roundness and bitterness with angularity, hopefully aiding researchers in this field in conducting future experiments.
topic cross-modal correspondence
shape
taste
beverage
url http://www.mdpi.com/2306-5710/4/1/12
work_keys_str_mv AT casparusjamachiels bittersweetfindingsroundcupsfailtoinducesweetertaste
_version_ 1725442451746848768