Savoring Natural Beauty Can Boost and Buffer Food Impatience and Desire: The Moderating Role of BMI
(A2021-94507)

AUTHORS

Yannick Joye, ISM: University of Management and Economics; Siegfried Dewitte, KU Leuven; Bob Fennis, University of Groningen; Justina Gineikiene, ISM University of Management and Economics

ABSTRACT

In the current research we tested if savoring (visual) beauty could satiate consumers, such that they would no longer feel the need to satisfy themselves via actual eating. In two studies, participants had to watch photos of aesthetically appealing (versus unappealing) natural scenes/phenomena, after which we assessed their impatience and desire to eat their favorite food. Results show that experiencing natural beauty decreased food impatience and desire in low BMI individuals. For high BMI individuals, however, beauty increased eating impatience and desire, possibly reflecting compensatory behavior driven by a blunted reward system. Our findings attest to the role of visual beauty in both boosting and buffering consumers’ food impatience and desire.

REFERENCES

This project has received funding from EU Structural Funds (project No 09.3.3 LMT-K-712-01-0136 under grant agreement with the Research Council of Lithuania (LMTLT)).?