TY - JOUR PY - 2014// TI - Bitter taste causes hostility JO - Personality and social psychology bulletin A1 - Sagioglou, Christina A1 - Greitemeyer, Tobias SP - 1589 EP - 1597 VL - 40 IS - 12 N2 - The present research tested the novel hypothesis that bitter taste increases hostility. Theoretical background formed the intimate link of the taste-sensory system to the visceral system, with bitter intake typically eliciting a strong aversion response. Three experiments using differential bitter and control stimuli showed that hostile affect and behavior is increased by bitter taste experiences. Specifically, participants who consumed a bitter (vs. control) drink showed an increase in self-reported current hostility (Experiment 1), in hypothetical aggressive affect and hypothetical aggressive behavior (Experiment 2) and in actual hostile behavior assessed using a well-established method for non-physical laboratory aggression (Experiment 3). Furthermore, the effect occurred not only when participants were previously provoked (Experiments 2 and 3) but also when no provocation preceded (Experiment 1 and 3). Importantly, stimulus aversiveness and intensity did not influence the effects observed, ruling them out as explanations. Alternative interpretative frameworks and limitations are discussed.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0146-1672 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0146167214552792 ID - ref1 ER -