The Impact of emotional associations on food perception and preferences

In a world full of distractions and fast-paced lifestyle, people often experience cognitive burdens that impair their ability to make conscious food choices. This leads to a preference for low-nutritional-value foods that provide immediate gratification but have long-term negative consequences for both personal and environmental health. This study aimed to explore whether emotional associations could steer individuals toward healthier food choices. Specifically, we hypothesized that associating healthy foods with positive emotions and unhealthy foods with negative emotions would impact participants’ perception and preferences. To test this hypothesis, participants (N = 23) underwent an online association task administered via Gorilla Experimental Builder. The ratings of ‘liking’ and ‘wanting’ for both types of food were recorded before and after the task. Although the results were not statistically significant due to the sample size, they showed a trend consistent with our hypothesis. These preliminary findings suggest the need for further research with a larger sample size to confirm that emotional cues may offer a promising avenue for nudging people toward healthier dietary choices.