Abstract
The effects of visual stimulation on the sensitivity for four basic tastes were studied in female college students.
Appropriate visual stimulants for food were selected by questionnaire to represent the four basic tastes. Taste sensitivity was measured by the filter-paper-disk method with or without visual stimulation.
Most visual stimulations had effect on the insensitivity to a sour taste. Visual stimulation by sweet foods only enhanced the sensitivity to a sweet taste. On the contrary, visual stimulation by bitter foods enhanced the taste sensitivity for sweetness and saltiness. The taste sensitivity in the central area of the tongue was reconfirmed to be most insensitive of the four areas tested, especially regarding saltiness and bitterness.
It was concluded that visual stimulation influenced taste sensitivity, although this depended on the stimulant used.
