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Background: In the digital era, developing effective teaching methods is crucial due to the challenges of maintaining students' concentration amidst distractions. This study assessed the effects of learning-promoting factors both across group boundaries and within RCT learning groups examined in our previous study on the effectiveness of online versus live teaching. Methods: The participants' experiences in the domains of Concentration, Anticipation, Liking and Desire to reuse were evaluated online immediately after a lesson on diagnosing pediatric respiratory issues implemented either in a Live, Live-stream, Vodcast or Podcast setting. The students rated their experiences on a scale of 1–10 with scores above a median of 8 indicating high experience levels in each factor. Learning was evaluated using a Webropol e-Test immediately and five weeks after the teaching session. The 15-minute test, comprised of 10 multiple-choice questions and real-life video scenarios, measured both theoretical and diagnostic skills. The test score scale ranged from − 26 to 28 points. Results: High concentration was experienced by 70/72 (97.2%) students in the Live, 41/75 (54.7%) students in the Live-stream, 53/72 (73.6%) students in the Vodcast and 36/79 (45.6%) students in the Podcast teaching groups (P < 0.01). High concentration promoted learning the most, resulting in a 1.93 score improvement in the short-term test and a 1.65 score improvement in the long-term test. Among those with high concentration, the average test scores ranged from 21.9 to 23.4, while the range for low concentration was 18.3–20.0. Conclusion: In our study, good concentration promoted higher test scores in comparison with low concentration across all the learning modalities, both in digital and live settings. However, the live teaching modality resulted in the highest levels of concentration. Our results suggest that teachers should use various teaching modalities and utilize related special features to engage learners and maintain their concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main priorities of current food systems is to develop new and healthy foods to overcome food shortages considering consumer's expectations. Algae are receiving increasing attention as nutritious and sustainable food, though studies are limited mainly to Arthrospira and Chlorella species and cross-national research is scant. This study aims to investigate European consumers' liking and perception of crackers added with powders from Arthrospira platensis (green Spirulina), isolated proteins from Arthrospira platensis (blue Spirulina), Palmaria palmata, Saccharina latissima, Lithothamnium calcareum and a control cracker. Belgian, German, Italian, and Swedish participants (n = 413, 18–69 years, 59.8% females) evaluated cracker liking and perceived sensory attributes using the check-all-that-apply (CATA) task. Food neophobia, familiarity towards, and consumption of algae were also collected. Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR) analyses showed that across all countries, Lithothamnium calcareum, blue Spirulina and the control samples were perceived as similar and were liked more than the other crackers. "Sweet", "toasted bread", and "bland" attributes were significant contributors to liking, while "off-flavor", "fishy flavor", "umami" and "speckled" contributed negatively. PLSR performed by country provided similar results except for Italians who liked the green Spirulina sample equally as the samples added with Lithothamnium calcareum, blue Spirulina, and the control. These cross-national differences can be ascribed to Italians' lower food neophobia level. The present results suggest that Lithothamnium calcareum is the most promising algal species to be exploited in food formulations and that the use of isolated proteins from Spirulina (blue Spirulina) significantly reduces off-flavors, consequently improving consumers' acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Preferences can be developed for, or against, specific brands and services. Using two functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments, this study investigated two dissociable aspects of reward processing, craving and liking, in chocolate lovers. The goal was to further delineate the neural basis supporting branding effects using familiar chocolate (FC) and unfamiliar chocolate (UC) brand images. Methods: In the first experiment, subjects rated their subjective craving and liking on a scale of 1‐5 (weak‐strong) for each FC and UC image. In the second experiment, they performed a choice task between FC and UC images. Results: Both the craving and liking ratings were significantly greater for FC and were differentially correlated with choice behavior. Craving ratings predicted greater preference for UC, and liking ratings predicted greater preference for FC. A contrast of neural activity for UC versus FC choice trials revealed significantly greater activation for UC choices in the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus and right caudate head. Response times for the FC images were faster than UC images; fMRI activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex was significantly correlated with response times during FC trials, but not UC trials. These correlations were significantly different from each other at the group level. Conclusions: The choices for branded chocolate products are driven by higher subjective reward ratings and lower neural processing demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely believed that exposure to sweetened foods and beverages stimulates the liking and desire for sweetness. Here we provide an updated review of the empirical evidence from human research examining whether exposure to sweet foods or beverages influences subsequent general liking for sweetness ('sweet tooth'), based on the conclusions of existing systematic reviews and more recent research identified from a structured search of literature. Prior reviews have concluded that the evidence for a relationship between sweet taste exposure and measures of sweet taste liking is equivocal, and more recent primary research generally does not support the view that exposure drives increased liking for sweetness, in adults or children. In intervention trials using a range of designs, acute exposure to sweetness usually has the opposite effect (reducing subsequent liking and desire for sweet taste), while sustained exposures have no significant effects or inconsistent effects. Recent longitudinal observational studies in infants and children also report no significant associations between exposures to sweet foods and beverages with measures of sweet taste preferences. Overall, while it is widely assumed that exposure to sweetness stimulates a greater liking and desire for sweetness, this is not borne out by the balance of empirical evidence. While new research may provide a more robust evidence base, there are also a number of methodological, biological and behavioural considerations that may underpin the apparent absence of a positive relationship between sweetness exposure and liking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Opioid injection drug use (IDU) has been linked to a more severe pattern of use (e.g. tolerance, overdose risk) and shorter retention in treatment, which may undermine abstinence attempts. Objectives: This secondary data analysis of four human laboratory studies investigated whether current opioid IDU modulates subjective abuse liability responses to high-dose hydromorphone during intermediate-dose buprenorphine stabilization (designed to suppress withdrawal but allow surmountable agonist effects), and whether hydromorphone response magnitude predicts latency of return to opioid use during buprenorphine dose-tapering. Methods: Regular heroin users not currently seeking treatment (n = 54; 29 current injectors, 25 non-injectors) were stabilized on 8-mg/day sublingual buprenorphine and assessed for subjective responses (e.g. 'liking', craving) to hydromorphone 24-mg intramuscular challenge (administered 16-hr post-buprenorphine) under randomized, double-blinded, controlled conditions. A subgroup (n = 35) subsequently completed a standardized 3-week outpatient buprenorphine dose-taper, paired with opioid-abstinent contingent reinforcement, and were assessed for return to opioid use based on thrice-weekly urinalysis and self-report. Results: During buprenorphine stabilization, IDU reported lower 'liking' of buprenorphine and post-hydromorphone peak 'liking', 'good effect' and 'high' compared to non-IDU. Less hydromorphone peak increase-from-baseline in 'liking' (which correlated with less hydromorphone-induced craving suppression) predicted significantly faster return to opioid use during buprenorphine dose-tapering. Conclusions: In these buprenorphine-stabilized regular heroin users, IDU is associated with attenuated 'liking' response (more cross-tolerance) to buprenorphine and to high-dose hydromorphone challenge and, in turn, this cross-tolerance (but not IDU) predicts faster return to opioid use. Further research should examine mechanisms that link cross-tolerance to treatment response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared the effects of attractiveness and expressivity on liking at three important stages in a relationship: (a) at zero-acquaintance, (b) after a five-minute getting-to-know-you conversation, and finally (c) after becoming well-acquainted with one another. We formed unacquainted groups of participants (N = 81) and over a period of nine weeks (40 + hours of total contact) had them engage in group activities spanning work, play, eating, and conflict. At zero acquaintance, attractive targets were liked more, a direct replication of prior literature. After the first conversation, this effect was still present. Self-reported expressivity also predicted liking after a five-minute conversation. By nine weeks of acquaintanceship, both self-reported expressivity and observer-rated expressiveness predicted liking in addition to attractiveness. We interpret this finding to suggest that these nonverbal behavioral qualities that are chronically embedded throughout one's behavioral stream must be notable given their effects on liking remained predictive even after interactants learned about their group members' other characteristics over the course of a relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Precision fermented dairy (PFD) is a novel technology used to produce milk proteins that can be used to replicate conventional dairy (CD) products. With PFD products likely to be available soon in the United Kingdom, this study aimed to explore consumer acceptance of these products. Specifically, the effect of sharing information related to the process and environmental impact of PFD on overall liking and emotional response for yoghurts labelled as CD and PFD. Overall, all participants (n = 62) were willing to try the yoghurts labelled as PFD, and no significant difference in liking between yoghurts labelled as CD and PFD was found, indicating acceptance and trust. However, sharing information slightly increased liking for PFD yoghurt and evoked more positive emotions (‘understanding’, ‘adventurous’ and ‘enthusiastic’). In contrast, information decreased liking for CD yoghurt and had minimal impact on the emotional response, but made participants feel slightly ‘guilty’. In particular, sharing information led high food‐neophobic and food technology‐neophobic individuals to be more ‘understanding’ towards PFD in comparison to the low‐neophobic groups. Findings suggest emotional responses can provide deeper insights beyond liking, which will benefit the food industry when reviewing consumer attitudes. The results show promise that consumers will accept PFD products when available, provided the novel technology can mimic the sensory properties of CD. Furthermore, when marketing products, sharing information may increase liking for sustainable products, but future studies would benefit from exploring the effect of different types of information on consumer acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different lines of research have argued that specific groups, such as boys or ethnic minorities, are more prone to develop an anti-school culture than others, leading to group differences in the social acceptance of high performers. Taking an ecological view, we ask to what extent the school context promotes or prevents the emergence of group-specific oppositional cultures. Theoretically, we argue that group-based oppositional cultures become more likely in schools with low socio-economic resources and in schools where socio-economic differences align with demographic attributes. We test our hypotheses based on data from a large-scale, four-wave network panel survey among more than 4000 students in Germany. Applying stochastic actor-oriented models for the coevolution of networks and behavior, we find that group-based oppositional cultures in which students like high performers less are very rare. However, in line with theoretical expectations, the less resourceful a school is, the more boys tend to evaluate high-performing peers less positively than girls do. Moreover, the more ethnic minority boys are socioeconomically disdvantaged in a school, the more they tend to evaluate high performers less positively than majority boys do. • We seek to identify school characteristics that promote gender-based or ethnicity-based oppositional cultures. • We analyze new data from a four-wave network panel survey among more than 4000 students in Germany. • Group-based oppositional cultures in which students like high performers less are rare. • The less resourceful a school is, the more likely boys rate high-performing peers less positively than girls do. • The more ethnic minority and majority boys' SES differs in a school, the more likely they rate high performers differently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of raw amaranth flour on physicochemical characteristics of instant noodles and the impact in liking, acceptability, and purchase intent of prepared soups. Four formulations of air‐dried instant noodles (50%, 40%, 20% and 0% amaranth) and one commercial product were evaluated in terms of physicochemical and antioxidant activity characteristics. Soups prepared with chicken seasoning were evaluated in terms of consumer liking, acceptability and purchase intent (N = 200). Amaranth‐formulated instant noodles were found to have higher fibre content, protein content, solubility index, cohesiveness, and antioxidant activity than commercial and wheat formulated treatments. On the contrary, a decrease in luminosity, adhesiveness and pasting properties was found. In general, consumer liking of soups was reduced in amaranth‐formulated treatments. Aroma was critical for acceptability and colour was a driver for purchase intent. Including raw amaranth flour in the formulation of instant noodles increased their nutritional quality. However, sensory characteristics of soups should be optimised to meet consumer needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perceptual pleasure and its concomitant hedonic value play an essential role in everyday life, motivating behavior and thus influencing how individuals choose to spend their time and resources. However, how pleasure arises from perception of sensory information remains relatively poorly understood. In particular, research has neglected the question of how perceptual representations mediate the relationships between stimulus properties and liking (e.g., stimulus symmetry can only affect liking if it is perceived). The present research addresses this gap for the first time, analyzing perceptual and liking ratings of 96 nonmusicians (power of 0.99) and finding that perceptual representations mediate effects of feature‐based and information‐based stimulus properties on liking for a novel set of melodies varying in balance, contour, symmetry, or complexity. Moreover, variability due to individual differences and stimuli accounts for most of the variance in liking. These results have broad implications for psychological research on sensory valuation, advocating a more explicit account of random variability and the mediating role of perceptual representations of stimulus properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing prevalence of employee exemplification in the workplace, there is limited understanding of this assertive self-focused tactic. This study proposes to expand the exemplification research domain by exploring the emotional and behavioral conditions under which this impression management tactic is effective. Data analysis from 206 supervisor–employee dyads reveals that the indirect relationship between exemplification and individual performance through a supervisor's liking is conditional on an employee's emotional intelligence. Specifically, the exemplification effect on performance is sharply negative when a salesperson's emotional intelligence is low, and it becomes insignificant when a salesperson is highly emotionally intelligent. This moderating effect is also strengthened by a supervisor's age. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliance on animal foods must be reduced to improve planetary and human well-being. This research studied plant-based cheese alternatives (PBCA) relative to dairy cheese in a consumer taste test with 157 consumers in New Zealand. A case study approach used cream cheese (commercially available) as the focal product category (2 PBCA, 2 dairy) and implemented a multi-response paradigm (hedonic, sensory, emotional, conceptual, situational). "Beyond liking" insights were established, including drivers of liking (sensory, non-sensory) and sensory drivers of non-sensory product associations. Two consumer segments were identified, of which the largest (n = 111) liked PBCA and dairy samples equally (6.5–6.7 of 9). In this PBCA Likers cluster, the key sensory drivers of liking were 'creamy/smooth mouthfeel', 'dissolves quickly in mouth', and 'sweet', while a significant penalty was associated with 'mild/bland flavour'. The non-sensory data contributed additional consumer insights, including the four samples being perceived as differently appropriate for 9 of 12 use situations, with PBCA being regarded as less appropriate. In the limited confines of this case on cream cheese, the findings show that PBCA need not be inferior to their dairy counterparts despite a general narrative to the contrary. Of note, the results were obtained among participants who were open to eating a more PB diet but were not vegetarian or vegan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opioid analgesic treatment during surgery entails the risk of persistent use. Experiences of childhood adversity have been shown to increase opioid reward in preclinical models, a finding recently extended to healthy humans. We tested whether childhood adversity similarly increased opioid reward, operationalized as drug-induced feeling good and drug liking, in outpatients receiving opioids on the operating table. This observational study recruited patients entering a Norwegian hospital for an outpatient surgical procedure. An opioid intravenous opioid analgesic (remifentanil [Minto model, effect-site concentration: 5 ng/ml], or oxycodone [5 mg]) was administered in the minutes before general anesthesia. Verbal numerical ratings of feeling good and anxious were collected 1 min before, and 1–3 min after opioid infusion. Ratings of drug liking, disliking, and feelinghigh were also collected after infusion. Patients (n = 151) completed measures of childhood adversity at a later date. Regression analyses revealed a modest yet significant negative association between childhood adversity and post-opioid liking (b = −0.06, p = 0.046) but no significant effect on feeling good (b = 0.01, p = 0.690) after the pre-operative opioid dose. Exploratory analyses showed that more childhood adversity was significantly associated with higher reports of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and pain catastrophising, however not with alcohol or other drug use, or with any other subjective drug effects. Ratings of feeling good and drug liking of medically prescribed opioids given before surgery were not higher after childhood adversity, and previous findings were not conceptually replicated. The discrepancy between current and prior results may be due to the context and stress related to the impending surgery, the short duration of drug exposure, and the relatively limited levels of high childhood adversity in the current sample compared to the original study. Exploratory analysis was consistent with the possibility of a nonlinear relationship between positive opioid effects and childhood adversity scores. Future research should assess the link between childhood adversity, subjective effects, and use of the prescribed opioids after surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Morality‐Agency‐Communion (MAC) model of respect and liking suggests that traits linked with morality are important for respect and liking; traits related to competence or assertiveness are important for respect and traits related to warmth are important for liking. However, tests of this model have tended not to consider traits related to immorality, incompetence, lack of assertiveness or coldness. This study addressed this issue by utilizing a within‐subjects design in which participants were required to rate their respect and liking for individuals with specific trait types across four categories (moral; competence; assertiveness; and warmth) at three levels (positive, negative and neutral). The central tenets of the MAC model were supported for 'positive' traits (morality, competence, assertiveness and warmth). However, for 'negative' traits (immorality, incompetence and lack of assertiveness), individuals were similarly not liked and not respected. Individuals who were cold were respected more than liked. The findings of this study extend the MAC model by indicating that the amount that individuals are respected versus liked depends not only on trait type but also whether a trait is positive or negative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural waste can be used as a plastic filler during the production of packaging, reducing the environmental impact and raw material consumption while supporting the circular economy. Despite so many efforts being made in development and characterization, consumers' behavior toward packaging containing agricultural waste as a plastic filler for food is still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate consumers' awareness of and liking for packaging containing agricultural waste as a plastic filler and consumers' perception and purchase intent of food in such packaging. Consumer survey research was conducted using an in-person questionnaire containing Likert scale, hedonic scale, and guide-type questions completed by 86 participants after showing them bread packaged in pouches made of plastic containing agricultural waste and a prompt in August of 2019. The responses were first analyzed as a whole and further evaluated using demographic and psychographic characteristics. Participants liked the use of agricultural waste to produce food packages and were willing to purchase food (bread) in this novel packaging. The aspect "reduction of harmful environmental impacts" was very important to participants if they were to purchase packaging containing agricultural waste. About 50% of participants were unsure of the performance of this packaging in terms of food quality and safety and >25% perceived no effect. Differences (p ≤ 0.05) within the groups for specific demographic and psychographic characteristics and two-way interactions between them were found. This study shows that food packaging containing agricultural waste should be well received and that packaging choices that affect the environment, like packaging containing agricultural waste, depend on consumers' mindset. Thus, educating consumers could contribute to reducing the packaging impact on the environment and to boosting environmentally friendly packaging acceptance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biscuits are food product frequently made from wheat flour. Food producers aim to produce biscuits using non-wheat flour, such as tuber, fruit, or grain flour. Consumers will accept product with acceptable sensory aspects, which can be determined by using the Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) and emotional sensory mapping (ESM) procedures. The objective of this study was to identify and compare sensory qualities using the RATA method; emotional attributes using the ESM method in non-wheat biscuits. Five biscuits were tested including pedada:mocaf flour biscuits, pedada:porang flour biscuits, pumpberry biscuits, berryfine biscuits, and caramelized strawberry biscuits. Panelists showed an average favorability score on the attributes of crunchy texture; caramel, nutty, sweet, and milky aroma; nutty, vanilla, sweet and savory taste; golden-brown color; and dry mouthfeel. PCoA results show emotional attributes close to the liking point are fun and comforting; needstate attributes are balanced, sharing, and energy; and environmental state attributes are windy and morning. This research provides valuable information about the sensory profile and emotional attributes of non-wheat biscuits so that it can be used for further biscuit development and commercialization.

Abstract Consumption of the avocado fruit and its availability in the retail market has increased in recent decades and with it the desire to learn more about the market and consumer choices. This research aims to explore the consumers' preference heterogeneity toward avocado fruit in Italy assessing their personal eating orientation and socio-demographic factors. To achieve this purpose, the answers of 817 Italian consumer of avocado were collected using a structured questionnaire shared online at national level. A survey based on the best–worst method was conducted to assess the declared preferences of individuals toward a set of intrinsic, extrinsic and credence attributes of avocado, as well as a latent class analysis of subject preferences indexes was applied to identify different clusters of individuals. The distribution of preferences indexes was investigated among latent classes, which were regressed on the socio-demographic variables covariates using multinomial logistic regression. The results suggest that the desirable attributes for choosing avocado were taste, consistency (ready to eat) and affordable price. In addition, five consumer profiles in the Italian context were defined (named Hedonistic, Avocado fruit lovers, Sustainability sensitive, Value for money and Health sensitive) and characterized in terms of preferences and socio-demographic features. The study addresses a topic that has already been explored, but with an unexploited approach (latent class analysis combined with best–worst choice modeling). Therefore, the results help fill the gap in the existing literature by enriching it with a study that characterizes avocado consumers' preferences considering their heterogeneity in terms of perception and socio-demographic characteristics.

Plant-based meat substitutes replacing animal meat can potentially support the transition towards more sustainable diets. To enable the required transition, consumer acceptance of plant-based meat is essential. An important aspect of this is the feeling of satiety or being full after eating. This study determined the satiating capacity of both plant-based meat and animal meat in 60 adults under real-life in-home conditions. Participants consumed four fixed ready-to eat meals for lunch at home once per week. Two types of Indian curry with 'chicken' were investigated as well as two types of pasta Bolognese with 'minced meat'. The two 'chicken' dishes and the two 'minced meat' dishes had the same recipe except for a gram-for-gram swap (125 g each) of either animal meat (chicken breast and minced meat) or plant-based (soy) meat. Results showed no difference in the satiating power of an animal meat dish and a plant-based meat dish when these were eaten as part of a full lunch meal at home. In addition, the meals did not result in energy nor macronutrient compensation during the rest of the day after consuming the meals. This occurred despite the caloric differences of the meals as a result of the real-life conditions (i.e., a lower energy content of the pasta with plant-based meat compared to the other meals). We conclude that meals with plant-based meat can be as satiating as meals with animal meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores Moritz Geiger's work on the role of emotions in aesthetic appreciation and shows its potential for contemporary research. Drawing on the main tenets of Geiger's phenomenological aesthetics as an aesthetics of value, the paper begins by elaborating his model of aesthetic appreciation. I argue that, placed in the contemporary debate, his model is close to affective models which make affective states responsible for the apprehension of the aesthetic value of an artwork, though Geiger also makes important concessions to the intellectualist. Like proponents of the affective model, Geiger argues that a work's aesthetic values are extracted by means of an affective state, more precisely, a "liking". However, like the intellectualist, he considers that a focus on the emotions might interfere in the aesthetic appreciation of the artwork. Next, I reconstruct Geiger's distinction between surface and depth effects in terms of a distinction between two types of emotional responses to artworks. It is argued that Geiger offers a powerful tool to distinguish those emotions that are intrinsically related to aesthetic values from those that are not and that this distinction can be useful to understand how different kinds of emotions contribute to aesthetic appreciation. I examine the historical sources of Geiger's distinction in Theodor Lipps's aesthetics and compare Geiger's account with the works of other early phenomenologists. In the final part, I illustrate the place of Geiger's model in the contemporary discussion by means of an example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumption of the avocado fruit and its availability in the retail market has increased in recent decades and with it the desire to learn more about the market and consumer choices. This research aims to explore the consumers' preference heterogeneity toward avocado fruit in Italy assessing their personal eating orientation and socio-demographic factors. To achieve this purpose, the answers of 817 Italian consumer of avocado were collected using a structured questionnaire shared online at national level. A survey based on the best–worst method was conducted to assess the declared preferences of individuals toward a set of intrinsic, extrinsic and credence attributes of avocado, as well as a latent class analysis of subject preferences indexes was applied to identify different clusters of individuals. The distribution of preferences indexes was investigated among latent classes, which were regressed on the socio-demographic variables covariates using multinomial logistic regression. The results suggest that the desirable attributes for choosing avocado were taste, consistency (ready to eat) and affordable price. In addition, five consumer profiles in the Italian context were defined (named Hedonistic, Avocado fruit lovers, Sustainability sensitive, Value for money and Health sensitive) and characterized in terms of preferences and socio-demographic features. The study addresses a topic that has already been explored, but with an unexploited approach (latent class analysis combined with best–worst choice modeling). Therefore, the results help fill the gap in the existing literature by enriching it with a study that characterizes avocado consumers' preferences considering their heterogeneity in terms of perception and socio-demographic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although previous studies have found that repeated exposure has an influence on the judgment of facial attractiveness, how this effect occurs remains unclear. Two experiments were conducted to explore the impact of repeated exposure on facial attractiveness and the processing mechanism. The results of Experiment 1 showed that in the case of large number of exposures, the facial attractiveness judgment for faces with high, moderate, and low attractiveness increased after repeated exposure. The increase in familiarity and liking mediated the relationship between repeated exposure and faces with high attractiveness, while the increase in liking mediated the relationship between repeated exposure and faces with low attractiveness. The results of Experiment 2 showed that in the case of small number of exposures, the facial attractiveness rating of faces with high and moderate attractiveness increased after repeated exposure. The increase in familiarity and liking mediated the relationship between repeated exposure and faces with high attractiveness, while the increase in familiarity mediated the relationship between repeated exposure and faces with moderate attractiveness. The results indicate that both the fluency of cognitive processing and change of affective attitude play an important role when people judge the facial attractiveness during repeated exposure. The present study illustrates the change rule of the evaluation of facial attractiveness, and lays a solid theoretical foundation for further investigation of the dynamic relationship between social characteristics of faces and behavioral decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided by the fostering relationships function of patient-centered communication (PCC), the present study utilized a 2 (high/low nonverbal immediacy) x 2 (high/low verbal immediacy) between-subjects experimental design to determine whether physician verbal and nonverbal immediacy influenced participant liking for physician, motivation to process a health message, and recall of the health message. An actor physician delivered a 3–4 minute video-recorded message, diagnosing U.S. adult participants, serving as analogue patients, with a health issue. The results indicated main effects for physician verbal immediacy and nonverbal immediacy on participant liking for physician and motivation such that participants had greater liking for the physician and motivation to do what the physician requested when the physician demonstrated greater verbal and nonverbal immediacy. However, physician verbal and nonverbal immediacy did not influence participantsʻ recall. Physicians should consider displaying verbal and nonverbal immediacy to create a positive impression among patients, and to motivate patients to take steps to improve their health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivational desires usually match predictions of outcome gain. The match is so close that some define desire as nothing more than the prediction of gain. Opposing evidence is presented here that desire is psychologically distinct from prediction and has different underlying neural mechanisms. Consequently, desire as incentive salience can separate completely from learned predictions, and can even create desires for outcomes that are remembered and predicted to be bad. The operating rules of incentive salience that power such desires emerge from brain mesolimbic dopamine-related systems. Two laboratory examples are described here to show how desire can separate from learned predictions of value: (i) 'wanting what is remembered to be disgusting', and (ii) 'wanting what is predicted to hurt'. In people, similar separations of motivational desire from outcome prediction can occur in addiction and related clinical conditions. Individuals typically want what they expect to like, often based on memories of previous positive experiences. However, in some situations desire can decouple completely from memories and from learned predictions of outcome value. The potential for desire to separate from prediction arises from independent operating rules that control motivational incentive salience. Incentive salience, or 'wanting', is a type of mesolimbic desire that evolved for adaptive goals, but can also generate maladaptive addictions. Two proof-of-principle examples are presented here to show how motivational 'wanting' can soar above memory-based predictions of outcome value: (i) 'wanting what is remembered to be disgusting', and (ii) 'wanting what is predicted to hurt'. Consequently, even outcomes remembered and predicted to be negatively aversive can become positively 'wanted'. Similarly, in human addictions, people may experience powerful cue-triggered cravings for outcomes that are not predicted to be enjoyable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This experiment examines the effects of presentation consistency on perceived authenticity and liking in computer-mediated communication, differentiating between profile views and short online text-based conversations. The experimental design is a 2 (presentation-consistent vs. -inconsistent) × 2 (profile view vs. short conversation) between-subjects experiment using university students (N = 173) in Singapore. Results show higher perceived authenticity (η2p = .29) and liking after short conversations than after profile views without conversations. When there is only a profile view, perceived authenticity is lower when the profile photo is inconsistent with the profile text than when it is consistent (η2p = .05). We discuss these findings in terms of schema tuning, where presentation inconsistencies can be accommodated over time as individuals develop unique mental schemas about their communication partners.

Abstract Objective To develop and evaluate the feasibility of a mobile application in Swiss households and assess its impact on dietary behavior and food acceptability between children who cooked with limited parental support (intervention group) with children who were not involved in cooking (control group). Methods A ten-week randomized controlled trial was conducted online in 2020. Parents were given access to a mobile-app with ten recipes. Each recipe emphasized one of two generally disliked foods (Brussels sprouts or whole-meal pasta). Parents photographed and weighed the food components from the child’s plate and reported whether their child liked the meal and target food. The main outcome measures were target food intake and acceptability analyzed through descriptive analysis for pre-post changes. Results Of 24 parents who completed the baseline questionnaires, 18 parents and their children (median age: 8 years) completed the evaluation phase. Mean child baseline Brussel sprouts and whole-meal pasta intakes were 19.0 ± 24.2 g and 86.0 ± 69.7 g per meal, respectively. No meaningful differences in intake were found post-intervention or between groups. More children reported a neutral or positive liking towards the whole-meal pasta in the intervention group compared to those in the control group. No change was found for liking of Brussel sprouts. Conclusions for practice The intervention was found to be feasible however more studies on larger samples are needed to validate feasibility. Integrating digital interventions in the home and promoting meal preparation may improve child reported acceptance of some healthy foods. Using such technology may save time for parents and engage families in consuming healthier meals.

Understanding the neurobiology of social reward processing is fundamental, holding promises for reducing maladaptive/dysfunctional social behaviors and boosting the benefits associated with a healthy social life. Current research shows that processing of social (vs. non-social) rewards may be driven by oxytocinergic signaling. However, studies in humans often led to mixed results. This review aimed to systematically summarize available experimental results that assessed the modulation of social reward processing by intranasal oxytocin (IN-OXY) administration in humans. The literature search yielded 385 results, of which 19 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis. The effects of IN-OXY on subjective, behavioral, and (neuro)physiological output variables are discussed in relation to moderating variables—reward phase, reward type, onset and dosage, participants’ sex/gender, and clinical condition. Results indicate that IN-OXY is mostly effective during the consumption (“liking”) of social rewards. These effects are likely exerted by modulating the activity of the prefrontal cortex, insula, precuneus, anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, and striatum. Finally, we provide suggestions for designing future oxytocin studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-protein bar incorporating mealworm powder was developed. The impact of explicit and implicit frame formation on the acceptance and sensory characteristics of this target bar was investigated by comparing it with four commercial protein bars for a total of 275 consumers. To construct the explicit frame, consumers watched a video clip about each frame (environment/nutrition/meal replacement) just before the evaluation. In the no-explicit-frame group, five protein bars were evaluated without video priming. The control group tasted the target sample only without any information. The implicit framework formed during the progress of exposure to various protein bar samples had a greater influence than explicit cues on the acceptance of the target. Promoting the nutritional and environmental merits of edible insects was not sufficient to improve the acceptability of the insect-incorporated protein bar. The liking decreased significantly with the inclusion of the commercial samples during the progress of sequential monadic serving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decision to adopt a unique mandatory front‐of‐pack nutritional label (FOPL) has currently been delayed by the European Union (EU) as contrasting evidence exists on which one might consistently better encourage customers toward healthier diets. In this context, little attention has been dedicated to investigating the potential effects of having more than one front‐of‐pack nutritional label on food products. This study aims to verify if a combination of front‐of‐pack nutritional labels (i.e., a "bundle") performs better for consumer understanding, trust, and preferences (such as liking) toward the label by helping consumers make healthier and more informed food choices. With this in mind, the study focused on three front‐of‐pack nutritional labels developed by public institutions that are central to the research and the recent EU policy‐making debate. In three controlled experiments, building upon the "directiveness" front‐of‐pack nutritional label schemes, we find that the combination of a nondirective (i.e., NutrInform Battery) and a directive (i.e., Keyhole) label outperforms both the combination of two directive labels (i.e., Nutri‐Score and Keyhole) and a single‐directive front‐of‐pack nutritional label (i.e., Keyhole) on subjective understanding, trust in the label and liking. Results cast light on the bundling of front‐of‐pack nutritional labels as a potentially different approach that might be further analyzed by researchers and provide a substantive contribution to managers and policy‐makers in their decision toward a unified front‐of‐pack nutritional label within the European Community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionOver the past years, several efforts have been made to formulate and develop plant-based substitutes of animal-based products in response to environmental changes, health issues and animal welfare. However, plant-based protein poses several challenges to product sensory characteristics, especially appearance, flavor, and texture. Despite this, current literature data have mainly reviewed nutritional, technological, and sustainability aspects of plant-based products with limited concerns on perceived sensory properties and perceptive barriers to consumption related to each specific substitute. To fill this literature gap, this systematic review aims to provide an up-to-date overview of the perceptive determinants of consumers' acceptance of plant-based substitutes of animal-origin products, including meat, dairy, fish and eggs analogs, with emphasis on product's intrinsic properties: appearance, smell, taste, and texture. Moreover, age-, gender-, and cultural-related differences in the appreciation/rejection of plant-based substitutes of animal-origin products were investigated.MethodsThe systematic analysis of the literature consulting Web of Science (Core Collection) and Scopus databases retrieved 13 research articles on meat, 26 on dairy, and two on fish and eggs analogs.Results and discussionResults showed that all sensory dimensions are influenced by the replacement of animal proteins with those of vegetable origin. However, the relative importance of appearance, odor, taste, and texture varied according to plant-based analogs category and mitigatory processing strategies to mask unpleasant sensory properties have been suggested for each category. Dairy analogs mainly suffer of aromas and flavors imparted by the raw materials, while both meat and dairy analogs have texture challenges. Meat analogs lack of juiciness, elasticity and firmness, while dairy analogs require uniform, creamy and thick texture. Moreover, very few studies analyzed the product's perception, considering age- and gender-related differences or cross-national/cultural differences. Future research should be addressed to specific product categories such as fish and eggs analogs as well as specific population targets including children and the elderly and consumers from developing countries.

Summary: The study aimed to combine Pivot© Profile and Check‐all‐that‐apply (CATA) sensory techniques to determine the sensory attributes of adulterated honey and the impact of honey adulteration on consumer liking, emotions, and memories. Consumers (130) performed the Pivot technique to generate the sensory vocabulary. The CATA technique was then used to filter the relevant attributes from samples. This process allowed to reduce the preliminary list from Pivot© Profile (50 attributes) to 12 relevant attributes. Consumers determined liking, emotions and memories on each sample. Regarding preference, the pivot samples and honey with 20% and 40% adulteration were located in the 40% and 80% preference regions in the PREFMAP. The adulterated honey with 60% and 80% had the lowest preference, causing their total rejection. This may be associated with emotions (Aggressive, Disgusted and Bored) and negative memories (Pain, Interpersonal conflict, and Poverty). The combined use of Pivot© and CATA sensory techniques allows for the identification of sensory attributes associated with adulteration. An increase in honey adulteration was associated with negative emotions and memories evoked in consumers that may lead to the rejection of honey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When students who are confident in their abilities do not perform well in an important course, they are likely to experience surprise. This case study investigated engineering students' experiences of surprise caused by test scores in foundational courses. Students taking Engineering Statics reflected on their surprise after completing tests by following a template that asked questions about how surprised they were (experiential indicator of surprise), how much they liked their scores (affective indicator), and how much they expected such scores (cognitive indicator). An inductive analysis of the reflections showed that students were at least moderately unpleasantly surprised and moderately pleasantly surprised in 34.6% and 13.5% of the reflections, respectively. Among all reflections, 34.6% showed that students did not like their scores, and 25% showed that they did not expect such scores. A major cause of unpleasant surprise was the disparity between the students' high confidence in their understanding and their lower-than-expected scores. The other major cause was the disparity between the students' high effort in studying for the tests and their scores that were lower than expected. More than half of these students prepared for tests by reviewing materials. The emotions associated with unpleasant surprise included feelings of being disappointed, frustrated, and upset, and those associated with pleasant surprise were happiness and relief. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of overweight and obesity has generated significant concerns among European consumers and institutions. As part of a set of measures undertaken, the European Union (EU) called for one harmonized mandatory front-of-pack nutritional label (FOPL) to improve consumer food nutritional knowledge and encourage healthier and more informed food choices. Different types of FOPLs, ranging from nutrient-specific labels—such as the NutrInform Battery—to summary labels—such as the Nutri-Score—have been developed and introduced in different markets, reporting different degrees of effectiveness in terms of understanding. The aim of this study is to provide actionable insights by analyzing a specific part of the complex consumers' decision-making process in food when aided by FOPLs. Adopting a between-subject experiment on a sample of 4560 respondents in 20 EU member countries, the study compares the consumer subjective understanding and liking of two labels currently under examination by the EU bodies, the NutrInform Battery and the Nutri-Score. At an aggregated level, the results show that NutrInform Battery is more effective than Nutri-Score in improving consumer subjective understanding and leads to a higher liking towards the label. A detailed by-country analysis highlights either a superiority or a parity of NutrInform Battery for subjective understanding and liking. Theoretically, this study, through a large panel of respondents, adds the fundamental perspective on subjective understanding, complementing the findings of extant research on objective understanding, and further clarifies the role of liking as a complementary element in the food decision-making process toward heathier and more informed food choices. This might be of significant relevance in providing additional evidence that can be used by policymakers in their attempt toward the selection of a uniform FOPL at EU level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliance on animal foods must be reduced to improve planetary and human well-being. This research studied plant-based cheese alternatives (PBCA) relative to dairy cheese in a consumer taste test with 157 consumers in New Zealand. A case study approach used cream cheese (commercially available) as the focal product category (2 PBCA, 2 dairy) and implemented a multi-response paradigm (hedonic, sensory, emotional, conceptual, situational). “Beyond liking” insights were established, including drivers of liking (sensory, non-sensory) and sensory drivers of non-sensory product associations. Two consumer segments were identified, of which the largest (n = 111) liked PBCA and dairy samples equally (6.5–6.7 of 9). In this PBCA Likers cluster, the key sensory drivers of liking were ‘creamy/smooth mouthfeel’, ‘dissolves quickly in mouth’, and ‘sweet’, while a significant penalty was associated with ‘mild/bland flavour’. The non-sensory data contributed additional consumer insights, including the four samples being perceived as differently appropriate for 9 of 12 use situations, with PBCA being regarded as less appropriate. In the limited confines of this case on cream cheese, the findings show that PBCA need not be inferior to their dairy counterparts despite a general narrative to the contrary. Of note, the results were obtained among participants who were open to eating a more PB diet but were not vegetarian or vegan.

Diet therapy for diabetes involves controlling carbohydrate intake in order to manage blood glucose concentrations. Simple carbohydrates, like sucrose, quickly and potently raise blood glucose when ingested, and are typically perceived as sweet. Sweetness is innately pleasurable and contributes to the positive hedonic evaluation of foods and beverages. There is some evidence to suggest that individuals with diabetes mellitus may be less able to detect sweetness, which could result in increased intake and, thus, more difficulty managing blood glucose. A systematic review that included PubMed, PsycInfo, and Embase databases was conducted. Inclusion criteria included observational studies that investigated the sweet taste function of adults with and without diabetes mellitus (Prospero CRD42021225058). The quality of the final included studies was assessed using the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' Evidence Analysis Library Quality Criteria Checklist: Primary Research tool. Eighteen studies that compared sweet taste thresholds, intensity ratings, or hedonic responses in adults both with and without diabetes were included. Differences in sweet taste thresholds, both detection and recognition, indicated that individuals with diabetes were less sensitive than healthy controls. The same findings were observed for intensity ratings. Only two studies examined hedonic responses; results were inconclusive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent article by He, Melumad, and Pham (Journal of Consumer Research 46(3):545–563, 2019) showed that consumers experienced greater enjoyment when they were asked to perform an evaluative task relative to a non-evaluative task. In this research, we intend to replicate this finding and to examine to what extent the strength of the effect is contingent on the sample employed. Using a sample from Amazon MTurk, study 1 replicates the indirect effect but not the total experimental effect. Study 2 draws on a sample that is unacquainted with the experimental paradigm and replicates the indirect as well as the total experimental effect. These findings suggest that the sampling population of MTurk may have become desensitized to the basic experimental paradigm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Price and quality are positively related in people's minds. Saying a product costs more ought to lead to higher expectations of quality and liking. Importantly, this price‐quality heuristic is argued to affect perceived quality and liking—known as the marketing placebo effect. To investigate the robustness of this effect, we conducted six studies (total N = 2842; with students from an international Dutch university and US participants from Prolific and MTurk)—expanding on previous methodological approaches with larger samples and using products not commonly investigated in previous research. In all our studies, higher prices led to higher quality and liking expectations as suggested by the price‐quality heuristic. However, we did not find a consistent effect on perceived quality and liking once people experienced the product. Our data imply that the marketing placebo effect may be less robust or generalizable as previously assumed. This (in)efficacy should bring marketers to pause on when and whether to rely on it at all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is thought that the presence of music influences episodic memory encoding. However, no studies have isolated the influence of music liking – the hedonic value listeners attribute to a musical stimulus – from that of the core affect induced by the presence of that music. In an online survey, participants rated musical excerpts in terms of how much they liked them, as well as in terms of felt valence, felt arousal and familiarity. These ratings were then used to inform the stimuli presented in an online episodic memory task which, across different scenarios, involved dragging cued objects to cued locations and then recalling details of what was moved, where they were moved to and the order of movements made. Our results showed an influence of liking and music-reward sensitivity on memory for what was moved, as well as a detrimental effect of arousing musical stimuli on memory for un-cued scenario details. Taken together, our study showcases the importance of episodic memory paradigms that involve rich spatiotemporal contexts and provides insights into how different aspects of episodic memory may be influenced by the presence of music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-grapefruits with unique sensory properties and potential health benefits provide added value to fruit wine production. This study aimed to explore consumers' fruit wine preferences and descriptors for the varied fruit wines. First, 234 consumers participated in an online survey concerning their preferences for different wines (grape, blueberry, hawthorn, goji, Rosa roxburghii, and apricot). In addition, their attitudes towards general health interests, food neophobia, alcoholic drinks, and sweetness were collected. Grape wine and blueberry wine were the most favored wines, and goji wine was the least liked fruit wine sample. Moreover, 89 consumers were invited to evaluate 10 commercial fruit wines by using partial projective mapping based on appearance, aroma, and flavor (including taste and mouthfeel) to obtain a comprehensive sensory characterization. Multifactor analysis results showed that consumers could differentiate the fruit wines. Participants preferred fruit wines with "sweet", "sour", and "balanced fragrance", whereas "bitter", "astringent", "deep appearance", and "medicinal fragrance" were not preferred. Attitudes toward health, food neophobia, alcohol, and sweetness had less influence than taste and aroma (sensory attributes) on the preferences for fruit wine products. More frequent self-reported wine usage resulted in higher consumption frequency and liking ratings compared to non-users. Overall, the main factors influencing consumer preference for fruit wines were the sensory characteristics of the products, especially the taste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This project explores the impacts of emojis on students' impressions when used in a course welcome email. We adopt a 4 × 3 factorial design to determine how different emojis (i.e., , ,) impact students' impressions of credibility, immediacy, and liking. Data from students (N = 368) indicates emoji choice does impact impressions. Consistently, instructors' emoji use resulted in decreased perceived competence and trustworthiness but increased perceived caring, immediacy, and liking. Findings have implications for instructors who engage in technologically-mediated out-of-class communication and want to strengthen early student-instructor relationships. Limitations and future directions are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When meeting other people for the first time, how should one behave in order to be liked? We investigated the effects of agentic and communal behaviors on two forms of being liked: popularity (being generally liked by others) and unique liking (being uniquely liked by specific interaction partners). In a round-robin study, 139 unacquainted German adults had dyadic conversations and provided liking ratings afterward. The conversations were recorded on video, and four agentic behaviors (leading, dominant, confident, boastful) and four communal behaviors (polite, benevolent, warm, friendly) were each rated by trained observers. Participants who generally showed agentic and communal behavior were also generally liked (popularity). When participants' level of communal, but not agentic, behavior exceeded their personal standards during an interaction, they were particularly well-liked by the respective interaction partner (unique liking). The behavioral predictors of being liked thus differ, depending on whether one focuses on popularity or unique liking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]