Acquired Tastes: Establishing Food (Dis-)Likes by Flavour–Flavour Learning

Abstract

Flavour–flavour learning is a specific form of evaluative conditioning referring to the transfer of affective value from an already (dis-)liked flavour to a neutral flavour. Although generally considered as a form of conditioning, it is unclear whether flavour–flavour learning truly entails the learning of an association between two flavours comparable to the learning of stimulus–outcome associations in classical conditioning. Further, the precise neural underpinnings of evaluative conditioning remain to be found. Still, this does not disqualify flavour–flavour learning from being a potentially beneficial technique in establishing healthier eating patterns. Recent studies, though few, suggest that flavour–flavour learning can be readily applied to promote a positive shift in liking for fruits and vegetables, and may be beneficial in the treatment of food selectivity.