The Effect Of Spicy Versus Bland Gustatory Sensations On Variety-Seeking

Can spicy gustatory sensations increase variety-seeking? The present research explores this question. Based on the idiom “variety is the spice of life,” and drawing on research on embodied cognition and conceptual metaphors, we propose that spicy gustatory sensations can lead to increased variety in consumers’ subsequent choices because spiciness activates the desire to appear interesting by seeking variety. Our studies demonstrate that tasting spicy versus bland tortilla chips results in greater variety-seeking in highlighter colors, candy bars, and ice cream flavors, unless one has established one’s interestingness in a prior task (study 2) or one’s chosen variety is perceived to remain private (study 3). Alternative explanations based on arousal, positive affect, and expectation disconfirmation are tested and ruled out.