Abstract Prior research has revealed that flavors (sweetness) may metaphorically influence social judgements and behaviors (interpersonal ‘sweetness’). Given the inherently social nature of eating, other food related sensory signals beyond flavor may be conceptually mapped to social cognition and behavior. Here we tested the hypothesis that oral processing of foods with soft (vs. hard) textures may metaphorically facilitate (vs. inhibit) social behaviors conceptually associated with ‘tenderness’ or ‘soft-heartedness’. Two studies examined the influence of imagined (Study 1) and actual (Study 2) oral processing of soft (vs. hard foods) on prosocial tendencies. Study 1 revealed that greater magnitude of sensory characteristics associated with imagined consumption of a hard food (i.e., dryness) was predictive of decreased interpersonal trust. Using actual food consumption in an interpersonal context, Study 2 demonstrated increased interpersonal trust and charitable donation of time after oral processing of soft (vs. hard) food and suggested that this effect is a result of enhanced trust following consumption of soft food rather than suppression of trust following consumption of hard food. Although effects were modest, these findings provide initial suggestions that orosensory metaphors that shape social cognition are not limited to flavors (e.g., sweetness, spiciness), and that diverse properties of food may influence patterns of sociality.

中文翻译：

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温柔的食物，温柔的心：软硬感官信号对人际信任和亲社会倾向的隐喻映射

摘要 先前的研究表明，口味（甜味）可能会隐喻地影响社会判断和行为（人际交往中的“甜味”）。鉴于饮食固有的社会性质，除了味道之外，其他与食物相关的感官信号可能会在概念上映射到社会认知和行为。在这里，我们测试了以下假设，即对质地柔软（与坚硬）的食物进行口腔加工可能会隐喻地促进（与抑制）概念上与“温柔”或“心软”相关的社会行为。两项研究检查了想象（研究 1）和实际（研究 2）软（与硬食物）口腔处理对亲社会倾向的影响。研究 1 表明，与想象中的硬食物（即干燥）相关的感官特征的更大程度预示着人际信任的降低。在人际环境中使用实际食物消费，研究 2 证明在口服处理软（与硬）食物后增加人际信任和慈善捐赠时间，并表明这种影响是食用软食物后信任增强而不是抑制的结果食用硬质食物后的信任。尽管影响不大，但这些发现提供了初步建议，即塑造社会认知的感官隐喻不仅限于味道（例如，甜味、辣味），而且食物的不同特性可能会影响社会性模式。硬）食物，并表明这种效果是食用软食物后信任增强的结果，而不是食用硬食物后信任受到抑制的结果。尽管影响不大，但这些发现提供了初步建议，即塑造社会认知的感官隐喻不仅限于味道（例如，甜味、辣味），而且食物的不同特性可能会影响社会性模式。硬）食物，并表明这种效果是食用软食物后信任增强的结果，而不是食用硬食物后信任受到抑制的结果。尽管影响不大，但这些发现提供了初步建议，即塑造社会认知的感官隐喻不仅限于味道（例如，甜味、辣味），而且食物的不同特性可能会影响社会性模式。