Abstract Grocery stores and restaurants can control ambient temperatures using air-conditioning. Although questions about how ambient temperature affects consumers’ evaluations of foods are relevant to many food-based businesses, they remain largely unanswered, and there are contradictory hypotheses regarding the influence of ambient temperature on food preferences. Embodiment theory suggests that ambient warm temperature increases food preferences, whereas thermoregulation theory suggests that ambient warm temperature may decrease food preferences to lower the body’s temperature by limiting food intake. However, neither of these explanations considers food category. Given that food varies according to whether it is usually eaten warm or cool, the thermoregulation theory leads to the hypothesis that people may try to regulate their body temperature by preferring foods that should be eaten cool and avoiding those that should be eaten warm. To resolve these contradictory hypotheses, this study investigated the effect of warm ambient temperature on preferences for different categories of food. In total, 52 participants in a room with either warm or cool ambient temperature reported preferences for four categories of food images: vegetables, fruits, sweets, and savory foods. The foods were grouped into warm foods (i.e., foods perceived as having a warm temperature: savory foods), cold foods (i.e., foods perceived as having a cool temperature: fruits), and control foods (vegetables and sweets). The results indicated that ambient warm temperatures decreased preferences for savory foods but did not affect preferences for the other foods. The decreased preference for savory foods in warm ambient temperature was based on perceived food temperature but not on tastiness or healthfulness. These findings are the first to establish the effect of food temperature on food preference in warm ambient conditions. Incorporation of food temperature into thermoregulation theory can advance understanding of the sensory influences on consumer behaviors.

中文翻译：

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温暖的悖论：环境温暖的温度会降低对咸味食物的偏好

摘要 杂货店和餐馆可以使用空调控制环境温度。尽管环境温度如何影响消费者对食品的评价的问题与许多以食品为基础的企业有关，但它们在很大程度上仍未得到解答，而且关于环境温度对食品偏好的影响存在相互矛盾的假设。具身理论表明，环境温暖的温度会增加食物偏好，而体温调节理论表明，环境温暖的温度可能会降低食物偏好，从而通过限制食物摄入来降低体温。然而，这些解释都没有考虑食品类别。鉴于食物因通常吃热食还是凉食而异，体温调节理论提出了这样一种假设，即人们可能会通过偏爱冷食而避免热食来调节体温。为了解决这些相互矛盾的假设，本研究调查了温暖的环境温度对不同类别食物偏好的影响。总共有 52 名处于温暖或凉爽环境温度的房间中的参与者报告了对四类食物图像的偏好：蔬菜、水果、糖果和咸味食物。食物分为温热食物（即感觉温度较高的食物：咸味食物）、冷食物（即感觉温度较低的食物：水果）和对照食物（蔬菜和糖果）。结果表明，环境温暖的温度会降低对咸味食物的偏好，但不会影响对其他食物的偏好。在温暖的环境温度下对咸味食物的偏好降低是基于感知的食物温度，而不是基于美味或健康。这些发现首次确定了食物温度对温暖环境条件下食物偏好的影响。将食物温度纳入体温调节理论可以促进对感官对消费者行为的影响的理解。这些发现首次确定了食物温度对温暖环境条件下食物偏好的影响。将食物温度纳入体温调节理论可以促进对感官对消费者行为的影响的理解。这些发现首次确定了食物温度对温暖环境条件下食物偏好的影响。将食物温度纳入体温调节理论可以促进对感官对消费者行为的影响的理解。