Something to Chew On: The Effects of Oral Haptics on Mastication, Orosensory Perception, and Calorie Estimation

28 Pages Posted: 16 Jan 2015

See all articles by Dipayan Biswas

Dipayan Biswas

University of South Florida

Courtney Szocs

University of South Florida

Aradhna Krishna

University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross School of Business

Donald R. Lehmann

Columbia University - Columbia Business School, Marketing

Date Written: January 3, 2014

Abstract

This research examines how oral haptics (due to hardness/softness or roughness/smoothness) related to foods influence mastication (i.e., degree of chewing) and orosensory perception (i.e., orally perceived fattiness), which in turn influence calorie estimation, subsequent food choices, and overall consumption volume. The results of five experimental studies show that, consistent with theories related to mastication and orosensory perception, oral haptics related to soft (vs. hard) and smooth (vs. rough) foods lead to higher calorie estimations. This “oral haptics-calorie estimation” (OHCE) effect is driven by the lower mastication effort and the higher orosensory perception for soft (vs. hard) and smooth (vs. rough) foods. Further, the OHCE effect has downstream behavioral outcomes in terms of influencing subsequent food choices between healthy versus unhealthy options as well as overall consumption volume. Moreover, mindful calorie estimation moderates the effects of oral haptics on consumption volume.

Suggested Citation

Biswas, Dipayan and Szocs, Courtney and Krishna, Aradhna and Lehmann, Donald R., Something to Chew On: The Effects of Oral Haptics on Mastication, Orosensory Perception, and Calorie Estimation (January 3, 2014). Journal of Consumer Research, 2014, Columbia Business School Research Paper No. 15-13, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2549988

Dipayan Biswas

University of South Florida ( email )

Tampa, FL 33620
United States

Courtney Szocs

University of South Florida ( email )

Tampa, FL 33620
United States

Aradhna Krishna (Contact Author)

University of Michigan, Stephen M. Ross School of Business ( email )

701 Tappan Street
Ann Arbor, MI MI 48109
United States

Donald R. Lehmann

Columbia University - Columbia Business School, Marketing ( email )

New York, NY 10027
United States

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