The effects of calories and taste on habituation of the human salivary response

Abstract

The present study examined the effects of calories on salivary habituation. The rate of habituation to lemon taste was studied over 10 trials in 24 normal weight, nondieting, 18-35-year-old females. Between each of the trials, half the subjects ate low calorie, lemon gelatin, total Kcal = 32, and the others ate high calorie, lemon gelatin, total Kcal = 320. A dishabituating, novel chocolate taste was presented on trial 11 and recovery of salivation was assessed by presenting lemon flavor on trial 12. Subjective ratings were taken before and after salivary habituation for hunger levels and hedonics for lemon taste. Results show that high- and low-calorie groups both habituated to the repeated presentation of lemon taste, but with no significant differences as a function of calories in salivation volume, rate of habituation, hunger level decreases, and hedonic decreases. Subjects in both groups perceived equal caloric intake. These results suggest that salivary habituation may be affected more by the sensory characteristics of the food than by differences in caloric intake. The generalization of these data to the development of satiety are discussed.