How Flavorsome Was That Movie? Using a Bayesian Network Approach to Understand How Audiovisual Stimuli Influence Emotions and Flavor Perception

Abstract

This study utilized the temporal check-all-that-apply (TCATA) approach to investigate the impact of viewing video clips on the perception of ice cream. The association between subjectively rated emotions and their electrophysiological correlates was further explored using Bayesian network (BN) modelling. Participants consumed chocolate ice cream under different video conditions, and sweetness, bitterness, milkiness, creaminess, cocoa flavor, and roasted flavor ratings were acquired using the TCATA approach. Additionally, electrophysiological measurements of heart rate (HR), skin conductance (SC), and blood volume pulse (BVP) amplitude were obtained. The results showed that videos that evoked pleasant emotions, such as enjoyment and relaxation, were associated with increased ratings of sweetness and creaminess. Conversely, videos that evoked negative feelings, such as stress, were linked to higher ratings of bitterness. Furthermore, changes in electrophysiological measures were consistent with the variety of affective states evoked by the videos. Arousing videos increased HR and SC, while videos that induced calmness had the opposite effect. The use of BN modelling revealed significant relationships between affective states and electrophysiological responses with flavor perception. The model demonstrated that HR and SC were positively correlated with positive emotions that contributed to the perception of sweetness and milkiness, respectively. On the other hand, BVP amplitude was negatively correlated with arousal and perceptions of cocoa. Additionally, ratings of ‘quiet’ and ‘excited’ emotions were positively correlated to creaminess, while tension was positively correlated to roasted flavor. These findings indicate that understanding the impact of emotions on food perception can facilitate the design of consumer experiences that enhance enjoyment and engagement with food products.