Directed-forgetting-induced devaluation of foods and its characteristics

Abstract

Instruction to forget leads to forgetting. This phenomenon is known as Directed Forgetting (DF). Instruction to forget causes not only forgetting but also the devaluation of to-be-forgotten items. We conducted online experiments about DF-induced devaluation of foods. Experiment 1 tries to replicate DF-induced devaluation of food deliciousness found in the lab experiment. Experiment 2 applied this devaluation effect to food wanting. Experiment 3 tested whether the instruction to forget reduced food deliciousness. Experiment 4 examined the mechanism of DF-induced devaluation of food. Given these results, we found that instruction to forget induced devaluations of food deliciousness and wanting, and that food deliciousness was truly reduced by instruction to forget. However, further studies are needed to clarify the mechanism underlying DF-induced devaluation of foods.