Foodstuff of Dreams

Is our sense of identity so connected to food that it can change how we taste it? Researchers from Cornell and two Israeli universities found that study subjects tended to rate more positively the taste of certain products—such as Greek yogurt, energy bars, and Pabst Blue Ribbon—if they had expressed a wish to be like the kind of person they thought typically consumed them.

In a second study, during which college students drank and rated the taste of Gatorade, ratings were positively associated with participants' desire to be seen as part of the perceived core group of typical Gatorade drinkers—athletes and frequent exercisers. This was not the case with people who already considered themselves athletic: "A product's taste is improved when it helps support and identity you want, rather than an indentity you have," says Aner Tal a research associate in the Food and Brand lab as Cornell and a co-author of the studies. Further research might reveal the extent to which brand power sways the tastes of aspiring hipsters, bodybuilders, and models. —Kate Newman

Sealed With a Grin

We're suckers for smiles. So much so, it seems, that even the curved line on a jug of orange juice or an Amazon box makes an impression. As detailed in the journal Psychology and Marketing, study participants viewed images of tea, shampoo, and juice in packaging that featured concave, convex, or straight lines (or no lines), then rated each one and the likelihood that they would buy it. Subjects tended to favor items with smile-like concave lines, especially compared with frown-like convex lines. Signs of safety or threat—including certain facial expressions—determine whether we approach or avoid their source, explains Alejandro Salgado-Montejo, a researcher at Oxford University. Images that resemble a "safe" facial cue (a smile) may help draw us in. —Rachel Uda

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