Most people like the smell of wintergreen in candies, room fresheners, or nature

Question

Most people like the smell of wintergreen in candies, room fresheners, or nature. But when told it is the scent of an industrial solvent, some are actually sickened by the smell. Throughout this chapter you have read about instances like this one in which the very same sensory experience—the smell of wintergreen, the appearance of a multicolored dress, the taste of cilantro—can produce very different perceptual consequences in different people. Or even different outcomes for the same person in different contexts or at different points in time. Using one of these (or other) examples, discuss how biological, psychological, and cultural factors play a role in these varied perceptual outcomes.

Explanation / Answer

Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.

(Answer) Let us take the example of wafer crisps or potato chips. The consumer would like it if the crisps were obviously crispy, fresh, had a fresh aroma and obviously tasted of a good flavour that has not gone stale.

Biologically, one is inclined to think that the fresh chips are the better chips. This is because our minds are accustomed to knowing that stale food can be associated with diseases. Bad smells mean bacterial cultures and diseases. This is why; a consumer is inclined towards liking a fresh, crispy and aromatic potato crisp.

Psychologically, when one smells the chips, their taste buds are automatically influenced even without tasting the chips. If one smells “sour cream and onion,” the mind automatically fills the gaps and the taste buds expect a creamy onion flavour. Also, when one bites into the crisp and a lour crunch is heard by the ears, the mind associates this loud crunch with a fresher crisp.

Culturally, people are inclined to liking crisps, chips or fries that are usually thin and crispy. When one thinks about good chips or fries, the mind immediately thinks about “McDonald’s” fries. When the potato chips or crisps that we eat, seem as fresh, flavourful and have a crunch that we hear in advertisements, we know that we are eating good crisps.

Therefore, biologically, psychologically and culturally, people are inclined to picking the option that they perceive to be healthy and also one that the mind assumes to be fulfilling to the senses and cultural expectations.

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