The Effect of A Container's Weight on the Perception of Mineral Water

In the last few years, psychologists and neuroscientists have increasingly investigated the presence of multisensory interactions in people's perceptions of food and beverage. For example, the results of a recent questionnaire‐based study showed that wine is believed to be more expensive and of better quality when contained in a heavier bottle. However, it remains unclear whether various foods or liquids share similar multisensory associations in the mind of the consumer. In a laboratory study, we investigated the multisensory interactions between the taste of mineral water and the weight of the plastic cup in which it is served. The participants evaluated the freshness, pleasantness, level of carbonation, and lightness of two types of mineral water (i.e., still and carbonated) using visual analogue scales. The water was served in three identical plastic cups, varying only in terms of their weight (i.e., light, medium, and heavy). The results showed that when a heavier cup was used, the participants perceived the mineral water as less pleasant. By contrast, they rated the water served in heavier cups as more carbonated than water served in lighter cups. These data demonstrate that crossmodal associations in taste perception depend on the category of the product being evaluated and the specific quality that is rated. Such findings are extremely important for understanding the role of sensory interaction in food evaluation as well as encouraging healthier eating and drinking behaviors. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Recently, an increasing number of studies has shown that consumer's taste perception can be affected by certain features of the container in which food or beverage is served and/or experienced. The present study has important implications not only for understanding the multisensory interactions affecting beverage perception, but also for marketing and packaging design purposes. In particular, marketing strategies would certainly benefit from understanding the perception of package or container attributes that can drive consumer's perception and choice of certain beverages. Furthermore, understanding one or more aspects of a container that facilitates the perception of water as more appealing may help improve the drinking experience for people who are at risk of dehydration, with possible positive consequences for their water intake.