Aversive response towards culture fusion is moderated by the source of foreign cultural inflow

Culture fusion reflects blending of elements from distinct cultures that produces a novel, hybrid cultural representation. Prior research among participants in the USA revealed that fusion of cultural elements from the USA and China could be perceived as contamination of one’s local culture and evokes disgust. It remains unknown whether this aversion to culture fusion generalizes to other samples and is contingent on perceivers’ attitudes toward the source of the foreign culture. Here, we tested these questions across two studies. Participants were exposed to different patterns of culture mixing of their own local culture and two foreign cultures (one relatively favored and one relatively disfavored). Across both studies (Singaporean participants in Study 1 and Hong Kong participants in Study 2), the results replicated prior findings suggesting that culture fusion elicits stronger negative evaluations (e.g., disgust, discomfort) compared to other patterns of culture mixing (i.e., presentation of local and foreign elements side-by-side). Importantly, a Mixing Type × Foreign Source interaction emerged, such that participants in both studies reacted more negatively to culture mixing involving a less favored (China) than a more favored (USA) culture, with negative reactions especially pronounced toward culture fusion. This aversive response was moderated by patriotism in Singapore but not in Hong Kong. These findings demonstrate that response to culture mixing depends on intergroup attitudes toward foreign cultures, and culture fusion is especially aversive when involving cultural inflows from a disfavored out-group. The contribution of geopolitical differences between Singapore and Hong Kong on these findings are also considered.Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)Nanyang Technological UniversityThe author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research and preparation of this manuscript was supported by Nanyang Assistant Professorship (NAP) Award Grant (M4081643.SS0) awarded to Bobby Cheon, a General Research Fund (Reference Number 14655416) of the Research Grant Council of Hong Kong SAR government awarded to Ying-yi Hong, and by A*STAR under its IAF-PP Food Structure Engineering for Nutrition and Health Programme (Grant ID Number H17/01/a0/A11 & H18/01/a0/B11)

Low subjective socioeconomic status alters taste-based perceptual sensitivity to the energy density of beverages

Lower socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with increased consumption of energy-dense foods and sugar-sweetened beverages. Recent findings suggest that the mere perception of having lower subjective SES (SSES) compared to others was sufficient to elicit heightened preferences and consumption of higher energy foods and meals. This increased drive for energy intake associated with low SSES may be accompanied by heightened perceptual sensitivity to the presence of energy in foods, which may aid discrimination and selection of energy-dense foods. The present study tested this prediction by investigating whether acute experiences of low SSES may produce subsequent shifts in perceptual sensitivity to the energy density of beverages. Participants performed two taste tests on 6 iced tea beverages that varied in energy density prior to (at baseline) and after an experimental SSES manipulation. There were no differences in general frequency of ice tea consumption across the SSES conditions. Results revealed that participants were better at perceiving beverages that were higher in energy to be more energy dense following the low SSES manipulation (compared to baseline evaluations). By contrast, participants in the high SSES and neutral control conditions exhibited no overall consistent change in sensitivity to perceived energy density across the beverages following the manipulation. Additionally, no effects of SSES manipulation were observed for rated palatability of the beverages. These findings demonstrate that subjective experiences of having inadequate socioeconomic resources may produce taste-based perceptual shifts that increase sensitivity to the presence of energy in foods, potentially through heightened attentiveness to or expectations of sensory characteristics that signal energy (i.e., sweetness, texture). Such perceptual shifts may have been adaptive for facilitating the discrimination and selection of energy-dense foods in the face of resource insecurity. Importantly, this study suggests that merely perceiving a socioeconomic disadvantage may enhance identification and consumption of energy-dense foods and beverages, which may represent a psychosocial process that contributes to socioeconomic disparities in consumption of energy dense foods, and may be operational via heightened perceptual sensitivity to sensory cues associated with the presence of energy in the consumed food

Perceived inequality in society may not motivate increased food intake in the absence of personal socioeconomic disadvantage

Background: Greater levels of socioeconomic inequality across societies have been associated with higher rates of obesity and cardiometabolic disease. While these relationships could be attributed to poorer quality of health services and lower access to healthier lifestyles among disadvantaged groups in societies with greater economic inequality, this explanation does not account for those who experience relative economic security in such unequal societies (e.g., the middle and upper classes). Here, we tested whether perceptions of greater disparities between social classes in one’s society (i.e., perceived societal inequality) may promote eating behaviors that risk excess energy intake. Methods: In two studies, participants completed an experimental manipulation that situated them as middle class within a hypothetical society that was presented to have either large disparities in socioeconomic resources between classes (high inequality condition) or low disparities (low inequality condition), while keeping the participants’ objective socioeconomic standing constant across conditions. In Study 1 (pre-registered), participants (n = 167) completed the perceived societal inequality manipulation before a computerized food portion selection task to measure desired portion sizes for a variety of foods. Study 2 (n = 154) involved a similar design as Study 1, but with inclusion of a neutral control condition (no awareness of class disparities) followed by ad libitum consumption of potato chips. Results: While the high inequality condition successfully elicited perceptions of one’s society as having greater socioeconomic inequalities between classes, it did not generate consistent feelings of personal socioeconomic disadvantage. Across both studies, we observed no differences between conditions in average selected portion sizes or actual energy intake. Conclusions: Taken together with prior research on the effects of subjective socioeconomic disadvantage on increased energy intake, these findings suggest that perceptions of inequality in one’s society may be insufficient to stimulate heightened energy intake in the absence of personal socioeconomic disadvantage or inadequacy.Ministry of Education (MOE)Published versionOpen Access funding provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). BKC’s contribution to this work was supported by the Ministry of Education (MOE) Academic Research Fund Tier 1 Grant (2018-T1-002–024), A*STAR Industry Alignment Fund Pre-Positioning (IAF-PP) Grant (BMSI/17-07805E-R20H), and by the Intramural Research Program of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (ZIAHD009004-01656312). AL’s contribution to this work was supported by a Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 1 Grant (RG153/18)

The contribution of texture contrasts and combinations to food acceptance across cultures

Texture has long been considered an important attribute for food acceptance. However, which specific textural characteristics contribute to overall acceptance of a food is not well understood. It has been suggested that texture contrasts and combinations are a universal feature in giving foods a desirable texture, yet this notion is largely based upon anecdotal data. This study uses multiple survey research methods to assess the importance of texture contrast and combinations across cultures (Poland, U.S.A., and Singapore). Participants (N = 288) completed a survey that included overt measures of food texture contrast importance as well as free response questions regarding texture. The overall importance of texture for food liking was not different across the populations. However, the participants from Singapore and Poland gave more importance to a desirable food having multiple textures than the U.S.A. cohort. When looking at free responses, participants were twice as likely to mention combinations (multiple textures) with a texture contrast when describing foods they liked, in comparison to foods they disliked. This was observed across all three cultures. However, the type and quantity of texture terms used within combinations were different among cultures. For instance, Singaporeans enjoyed more texturally diverse food combinations than the other two cultures. These findings highlight the importance of texture contrasts and combinations in three distinct cultures