The Great is the Enemy of the Good: Hedonic Contrast in a Coursed Meal

Authors

Jacob Lahne, Drexel UniversityFollow
Debra Zellner, Montclair State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1-2015

Journal / Book Title

Food Quality and Preference

Abstract

This study investigates whether hedonic contrast occurs between foods served in different courses within a meal. In particular, does the hedonic value of an appetizer affect the hedonic value of the subsequently eaten main course? Hedonic contrast is known to occur in laboratory settings, but so far it has not been demonstrated in ecologically valid, real-world meal situations. To that end, this study was conducted in an ecologically valid setting - a training restaurant in a culinary school. Two groups of subjects (Ns = 35 and 29) were served the same pasta main course after either a good or mediocre bruschetta appetizer. The pasta was rated worse (and hedonically negative, M = -9.4) by subjects eating the good appetizer than by subjects eating the mediocre one (who judged it as hedonically positive, M = 17.4). This suggests that the hedonic value of an appetizer can influence the degree to which a diner likes the main course of a meal. Implications for the phenomenon of hedonic contrast and for meal services in restaurant settings are discussed.

DOI

10.1016/j.foodqual.2015.05.009

MSU Digital Commons Citation

Lahne, Jacob and Zellner, Debra, "The Great is the Enemy of the Good: Hedonic Contrast in a Coursed Meal" (2015). Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works. 504.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/psychology-facpubs/504

Published Citation

Lahne, J., & Zellner, D. A. (2015). The great is the enemy of the good: Hedonic contrast in a coursed meal. Food Quality and Preference, 45, 70–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2015.05.009