Human sensory preconditioning in a flavor preference paradigm

This experiment adapted a sensory preconditioning (SPC) procedure using human participants to determine if conditioning (Cond) to one flavor (the conditioned flavor) will enhance liking for another flavor (the SPC flavor) associated with it prior to training. Participants in one of three groups (N = 40 per group) consumed and rated plain or sweetened cherry and grape kool-aids in four phases. In baseline and SPC phase, ratings for a plain cherry, grape, and cherry-grape mixture were similar. In training, one flavor was sweetened (SPC + Cond and Cond Only groups) or unsweetened (SPC Only group) and ratings increased only for the flavor that was sweetened. In test, Group SPC + Cond rated the conditioned flavor and the SPC flavor as more liked and tasting sweeter. Group Cond Only rated only the conditioned flavor as more liked and tasting sweeter. Group SPC Only showed no change in ratings from baseline to test. These are the first data to show SPC learning using a flavor preference paradigm with human participants.

• Sensory preconditioning (SPC) was tested with humans using flavor stimuli.
• The CSs were grape and cherry kool-aids (flavors) and the US was sugar (taste).
• Flavor presentations were counterbalanced; effects of mere exposure were controlled.
• Results show first evidence of SPC in humans using a flavor preference procedure.
• Implications and future directions in human flavor learning research are discussed.