Abstract
Are tasteful foods tastier? Building on reference group influence and the principle of transferred essence, this research investigates the role of pairing foods with elite groups in the taste experience. In four studies involving actual taste tests and online experiments, we show that associating a food product with an elite group increases taste perceptions within various food categories. This effect occurs because of belief in transferred essence (the belief that the product incorporates the unobservable properties of the social elite). The effect is also stronger among participants highly sensitive to disgust. Overall, our results suggest that a taste experience is improved when foods embody the characteristics of the social elite.
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