Calling your loved one a “sweetie” may be more than just a metaphor. New research has found that tasting something sweet influences people’s thoughts about romance.
“There is a new developing area in psychology, and the literature suggests that the metaphors we use in our language can influence psychological processes, attitudes, and behaviors,” the study’s lead author, Dongning Ren, explained in a podcast.
In multiple studies, Ren and her colleagues found that sweet tastes increased individuals’ romantic interest in a potential partner, and made them perceive potential romantic relationships in a more positive light.
“It has been suggested that metaphorical thinking is one fundamental way of perceiving the world; metaphors facilitate social cognition by applying concrete concepts (e.g., sweet taste) to understand abstract concepts (e.g., love). The current findings support this notion by demonstrating that changes in bodily experiences result in relationship perceptions that are congruent with the love as sweet metaphor,” the researchers wrote.
The study was published online October 21 in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, and is available to read for free.
In two studies of 280 college students, participants were provided with a snack or drink before completing a computerized survey. The researchers told the participants that the aim of the study was to examine how the snack or drink influenced energy levels. Participants in the sweet condition were given four Oreo mini cookies or 5 oz. of Fanta drink, while those in the control condition were given six Lays salt–vinegar chips or water.
Ren and her colleagues found that “participants who experienced a sweet taste evaluated a hypothetical relationship more positively than those who experienced a non-sweet taste.” However, this effect was only observed in participants who were not currently involved in an established relationship.
“The specific effect on potential relationships fits with prior research that suggested metaphorical effects are most salient under situations of uncertainty. Given that potential relationships involved many unknowns (high uncertainty), these relationships may provide the conditions under which taste is most likely to matter,” the researcher wrote.
In a third study of 142 college students, participants were provided with 5 oz. of Sprite and 7-Up or water, and then asked to evaluate a fake dating profile of a person of the opposite sex. Those who consumed the sweet drink reported more interest in starting a romantic relationship with the person, and were more likely to imagine a better romantic relationship with them.
“Even though bodily experiences constitute an important part of our perceptual process, they have largely been neglected in the attraction literature. Notable exceptions are prior research on the misattribution of physiological arousal and body odor, both of which influenced romantic attraction. By investigating taste, this research reinforces and expands on the understudied idea that romantic interest can be redirected even through sensory experiences,” Ren and her colleagues said.
