Classical or expressive aesthetics: computational and neural mechanisms by which plating aesthetics influence healthy eating decisions

Subjects: Psychology >> Applied Psychology submitted time 2024-05-15

Mengying Liu Jingyi Jiang Yilin Yang Bo Jiang Jianping Huang

Abstract： The spontaneous human preference for high-calorie foods often leads to imbalanced dietary intake and contributes to obesity. Therefore, reducing the appeal of high-calorie foods and enhancing the appeal of low-calorie alternatives are crucial for promoting healthy eating. The aesthetics of food, which can be divided into classical and expressive beauty—both of which are perceived as equally attractive—play a vital role in enhancing its hedonic value. This study aimed to explore how these two aesthetic classifications affect the choice of high- or low-calorie foods using a food decision-making paradigm. By investigating the behavioural and neural mechanisms underlying the influence of different aesthetic features on healthy food choices, we sought to enhance our understanding of the intrinsic processes involved in dietary decision-making. 
This study (N = 31) employed a within-subjects experimental design of 2 (Aesthetic features: classical beauty, expressive beauty) × 2 (Food calories: high, low) to explore how visual aesthetics and hedonic value influence dietary decisions. We combined behavioural measures, algorithmic modelling, and electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate this interaction. Specifically, a hierarchical drift diffusion model (HDDM) was used to fit participants’ response times (RTs) and choice data and estimate decision parameters, including drift rate (v), threshold (a), and nondecision time (ndt), for each condition separately. EEG recordings were collected according to the international 10-20 system using tin electrodes mounted on a flexible cap, capturing brain activity from 64 scalp locations. The N300, N400, and CPP event-related potentials (ERPs) were analysed as indices of calorie processing, aesthetic feature processing, and decision signal accumulation, respectively. 
Behavioural results revealed that participants preferred high-calorie foods, as indicated by higher choice rates and shorter RTs, compared to low-calorie foods. Additionally, foods plated with classical beauty were chosen more frequently and with shorter RTs than those plated with expressive beauty. Notably, the influence of caloric content on food choice was significantly greater than that of aesthetic features. HDDM parameter estimation showed that high-calorie foods and those plated with classical beauty had higher drift rates, suggesting faster decision-making. Furthermore, aesthetic features moderated the impact of caloric content on drift rates: classical beauty decreased rejection speeds for low-calorie foods and increased their selection probability, while expressive beauty slowed the choice process for high-calorie foods and increased their rejection probability. EEG analysis revealed that low-calorie foods elicited a larger N300 amplitude than did high-calorie foods, indicating greater cognitive processing. Foods plated with expressive beauty elicited a larger N400 amplitude than those plated with classical beauty, indicating deeper semantic processing. Additionally, for high-calorie foods, the two aesthetic classes induced significant differences in CPP; however, for low-calorie foods, no significant differences were found. This pattern indicates that conflicts between caloric and aesthetic values increase decision-making difficulty. 
In conclusion, the results showed that in dietary decision-making, classical beauty (vs. expressive beauty) was associated with greater aesthetic value and greater semantic processing fluency. Aesthetic value could significantly influence the perceived reward of calorie content. Additionally, the salience of calorie value exceeded that of aesthetic value. Furthermore, both synergistic and competitive interactions between caloric and aesthetic values occurred during the decision evidence accumulation process, reflecting the intensity of motivational conflict and affecting both decision speed (v) and decision difficulty (CPP). This study revealed the moderating effect and cognitive neural basis of aesthetic value in healthy eating decisions and provided guidance on the aesthetic design of food plating for promoting healthy eating choices in practical applications. 

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