Things That Affect Taste Perception.

Question 1

What kind of factors can affect taste perception?

Answer 1

Biological, psychological and social.

Question 2

What psychological factors affect taste perception?

Answer 2

Perceptual set (expectancy), past experience, motivation, emotional state & context.

Question 3

What biological factors affect taste perception?

Answer 3

Ageing and genetics.

Question 4

What social factors affect taste perception?

Answer 4

Culture

Question 5

Ageing. - Taste

Answer 5

Young people have more taste buds than older people.

Question 6

Genetics - Taste

Answer 6

Can inherit from our parents how many taste buds we have.

‘non tasters’ as little as 500.
‘super-tasters’ as high as 40,000

Question 7

Perceptual Set (expectancy) - Taste

Answer 7

Expecting a food to be good, we possibly will perceive it to be good.

Question 8

Past experience - Taste

Answer 8

Memory of past tastes can affect our taste perception.

Question 9

Motivation - Taste

Answer 9

Often will perceive food as being tastier if we are motivated. (eg hunger)

Question 10

Emotional State - Taste

Answer 10

Feeling negative could make us crave ‘comfort foods’

Question 11

Context - Taste

Answer 11

Background information, like packaging, can influence how it tastes.

Question 12

Culture - Taste

Answer 12

Upbringing can heavily affect taste.

‘beliefs, traditions, values.’