You Can Usually Tell How Good (Or Bad) Someone’s Taste In Music Is By How Much Sugar They Eat, Says Study
Roman Samborskyi | Shutterstock People tend to get very defensive about their playlists. Some love bubbly, upbeat pop tunes, and some are more drawn to dark, intense alternative music. Each has their own opinion about what constitutes good music, but it seems that the music they dislike might actually have a notable effect on the brain.
People who listen to music considered bad may prefer high-sugar foods, even when presented with healthier options. While researchers don't suggest that hearing bad music suddenly makes you reach for sweets, it could show that both habits are linked to comfort, mood, and quick dopamine hits.
A recent study found that listening to bad music makes you crave sugary foods more.
The study, conducted in Austria and published in the food science journal Appetite, yielded some curious results. Jonas Potthoff and Anne Schienle, the authors of the study, set out to determine whether "self-selected liked versus disliked music affects desire to eat, visual attention to foods of varying sugar content, and subsequent food choice in a buffet-like context."
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After being asked to fast for a few hours prior, 106 participants with an average age of 25 were divided into three groups, where they were assigned to listen to either liked music, disliked music, or no music at all. Nine different items were then presented to the participants, including three different high-sugar gummies, three different low-sugar fruits, and three non-food items (marbles, a massage ball, and a tennis ball).
Each individual completed an assessment of their affective state and their general desire to eat before and after the experiment. They also rated the presented items and were permitted to take whichever ones they wanted.
The music affected which items the participants chose and how they were rated.
Participants who listened to disliked music had a lower desire to eat overall. However, they also had a greater desire to eat high-sugar foods compared to other groups. According to the study, "nearly 62% of participants in the disliked music group chose to eat a high-sugar food, compared to only 24% in the liked music group and 38% in the no-music group."
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The researchers consider this to be an example of "compensatory consumption," otherwise called emotional eating. They theorize that the disliked music made the participants' moods worsen, so they subconsciously sought out sugary comfort foods as a coping mechanism. Even though they weren't really hungry, they still sought out something to improve how they felt.
"These findings suggest that music can bias food-related decision-making independently of attentional processes: liked music may encourage healthier choices, whereas disliked music increases susceptibility to high-sugar comfort foods despite reduced general appetite," the study authors wrote. "The results highlight the potential of music as a subtle, non-caloric intervention for promoting low-sugar eating behaviour."
They do mention that the participants' preferences for high versus low-sugar foods can't necessarily be generalized to entire food groups. Certain people may just prefer fruit, and not low-sugar foods in general, and others might prefer gummy sweets and not other high-sugar foods. Either way, these findings present an interesting concept that could be worthy of further scientific exploration.
Kayla Asbach is a writer with a bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida. She covers relationships, psychology, self-help, pop culture, and human interest topics.
