SEATTLE – When people feel gratitude, they tend to eat more sweets, according to a study from the University of Washington.
The study, published in the March edition of the Journal of Consumer Psychology, speaks of the impact of “vitruous emotion” and diet.
When gratitude is felt, individuals will prefer foods with sweet rather than non-sweet flavors. If gratitude causes individuals to prefer sweets because they infer that they must be deserving of sweetness, the impact should be strongest among those who are psychologically connected to others.
The paper examines the results of six studies that support these predictions. It focuses on individuals who selected more sweets and fewer non-sweet foods when primed to feel grateful. The study concludes that moderation and mediation support the cognition of deserving sweetness as the underlying mechanism of this phenomenon.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1057740815000273