The influence of music type and transmission mode on food intake and meal duration: An experimental study
Published online on March 09, 2016
Abstract
The influence of auditory stimuli and their transmission mode on food intake and meal duration was assessed in healthy adults (73 male, 74 female) under laboratory conditions. The participants (18–30 years old) were randomized to one of five lunch groups. Five conditions were compared: eating in silence (control condition), eating while listening to background music via loudspeakers, eating while listening to background music via headphones, eating while listening to pop songs with English vocals and eating while listening to pop songs with German vocals. Results showed no association between listening to songs with different emotion-arousing potential and the amount of food consumed. Within-group comparisons revealed longer meal durations while listening to English music and unfamiliar background music via headphones than while listening to familiar German pop songs. The difference with the control condition just failed to reach significance. No differences were found for transmission mode. Further studies to examine the influence of music on food intake and eating behaviour, especially under controlled conditions, are needed.