Do you play and listen to music while eating breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even just a snack? How does that work out for you? At the end of each of those meals, do you feel more satisfied with the food or not? Or would you rather eat in silence listening to your own chewing and biting? Does it even matter? Yes, it actually does and here we discuss that idea so that on you’re next meal, be it a party or just on your own, you will know how playing music affects how we eat.
In a study conducted by the Department of Psychology of Georgia State University, they found that the presence of music is associated with higher food intake. Participants of the study, through a questionnaire, revealed that there was higher food and fluid intake and longer meal duration while they were listening to music.
Specifically what type of music though?This questions can be answered in another study, where it was found that food tasted nicest when served with quiet classical music and a hint of background ‘chatter’. And in that same study, what was more surprising to discover was that complete silence while eating had actually took away the enjoyment of eating for the participants!
Most restaurants are aware of the effects of music on eating and use it for their advantage. If you’ll notice, most fast food chains now employ a satellite radio, usually tuned to a station tailored to that restaurant. Restaurants do this so they can control the guests’ dining experience. In fast food chains for example, the music will most of the time be that of moderate tempo, upbeat, and inoffensive pop music. This is to keep you propelled enough to eat quickly and leave, but not so attention-grabbing as to cause you to stop and listen.
Another reason why restaurants use music while dining is because of a phenomenon called “conditioning”. Remember that popular dog and bell experiment by Russian psychologist Ivan Pavolv? It’s something like that. If the restaurants play music that you can only hear in their store, the next time you hear that song, it will remind you of eating there.
So these studies, along with other social experiments, reveal that playing music while eating definitely affects us. For one, it makes us eat more. So, do these facts give you any ideas? Why not play music next time you cooked dinner for the kids? Who knows, they may end up finishing all of the food and wanting more!
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