Towards a situational taxonomy of comfort foods: A retrospective analysis.

The concept of comfort food is heterogeneous and encompasses many different aspects that have been difficult to define. Here, we propose that a situational approach may provide a new perspective for categorizing comfort foods. Using a web-based survey, 322 respondents first provided their lay definition of comfort foods.

The role of retrieval practice in memory and analogical problem-solving.

Retrieval practice (e.g., testing) has been shown to facilitate long-term retention of information.

CS-US interval determines the transition from overshadowing to potentiation with flavor compounds.

The present series of five flavor aversion experiments with rat subjects examined compound conditioning at varying CS-US intervals. Using a taste-taste design, Experiments 1A and 1B demonstrated overshadowing at a 0-min CS-US interval and potentiation at a 120-min CS-US interval, and these effects occurred with both tastes of the compound. Experiment 2 showed that the aversion to a single element is reduced when the CS-US interval is increased to 120 min, but the aversion for a compound taste is not.

Differences in taste-potentiated odor aversions with O+/OT+ versus OT+/O+ conditioning: Implications for configural associations.

The present research demonstrates a conditioning order effect difference: Odor-aversion conditioning is stronger following OT+/O+ conditioning than following O+/OT+ conditioning with specific odor (O) and taste (T) cues. When a weak odor cue was used in Experiments 1A and 1B, OT+/O+ conditioning produced significantly stronger odor aversions than did either O+/OT+ or O+/O+ conditioning, which did not differ. The same design was used in Experiment 2 with a strong odor, but the order effect difference was not replicated, suggesting that the order effect difference is specific to conditions that produce taste-potentiated odor aversions.

Within-compound associations are not sufficient to produce taste-mediated odor potentiation.

Rats were used in two flavor-aversion experiments to determine if within-compound associations could be detected with a taste+odor compound that would not support taste-mediated odor potentation. In Experiment 1, following taste+odor compound conditioning, postconditioning taste extinction significantly weakened the odor aversion. In Experiment 2, following taste+odor compound conditioning, postconditioning taste inflation significantly strengthened the odor aversion.