We all know that some of our senses are closely linked, such as taste and smell, but we probably think less often about how it’s harder to hear a person talk when you can’t see their mouth?[1] Or that the environment around you can influence how your food tastes?[2, 3]
Our senses all link up
This is called cross-modal perception, and research has shown that from our earliest sensory processing experiences, the information we get from one sense is influenced by the information our other senses are gathering.[4]
When we can’t see a person’s mouth, or their mouth movement doesn’t match the sound we hear, it can be harder to understand them. If you’ve experienced the frustration of watching TV with a delay or a badly dubbed show, where the sound doesn’t quite match the picture, you’ll know how it feels for your cross-modal perception to be challenged.
How sights and smells in our environment affect our taste
How we taste our food (and drinks) is also impacted by the information our other senses are taking in. Even the music we hear while nibbling has an impact; studies have shown that higher pitched music will enhance sweet tastes in food, whereas lower pitched music makes bitter tastes more noticeable.[5]
Similarly, where we are and the sights or smells around us can influence the tastes we experience. In a study of whisky drinkers, even though the participants all knew they were drinking the same drink each time, when they sipped it in a grassy environment surrounded by plants it tasted grassier. With sweet smells around and bowls of berries nearby the drink tasted sweeter, and in a woodland space it tasted woodier – and better for most of the participants![3] Where we are eating, and how that feels to all our senses, can really have an impact on our experience.
What setting is your baby eating in?
Just like adults, what's going on around your baby will affect their sensory experience in lots of ways, particularly when it comes to mealtimes. While it's not always possible to control your surroundings when it's time for your baby's snack or meal, at home, you could think about what background noises they are hearing, if there's lots of activity around them, and what other smells they are taking in while they eat.
Watch to see if your baby gets more enjoyment out of that piece of watermelon while eating it on a picnic blanket in the fresh air. Or perhaps that sweet potato tastes even sweeter with some high pitched music playing in the background in the café? It's a fascinating watch (and sound, smell and taste!).
References:
[1] Keough, M., Derrick, D., & Gick, B. (2019). ‘Cross-modal effects in speech perception’. Annual review of linguistics, 5(1), 49–66.
[2] Spence, C. (2018) Gastrophysics: The New Science of Eating. UK: Penguin Random House
[3] Velasco, C., Jones, R., King, S. et al. (2013) ‘Assessing the influence of the multisensory environment on the whisky drinking experience’. Flavour 2:23
[4] Spence, C. Dept. (undated). Experimental Psychology, Oxford University: Research: Crossmodal Perception. [online] Available at: https://www.psy.ox.ac.uk/research/crossmodal-research-laboratory [Accessed Febuary 2022]
[5] [Future of Storytelling] (2016, July 26) Charles Spence – Sensploration (Future of StoryTelling 2016) [video file] Available at: Charles Spence – Sensploration (Future of StoryTelling 2016)