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Flexibility of preferences
The flexibility of preferences
The
flexibility of chemosensory preferences
Geraldine Coppin & David Sander,
University of Geneva
In:- Neuroscience of Preference and Choice (2012)
Keywords: preferences, choice, neural flexibility,
choice, consciousness
The authors study preferences relative to odours,
flavours and tastes, arguing for some flexibility in preferences over and above
genetically determined preferences. Satiety can arise with respect to a food
stuff that is initially rated as pleasant. The activity of the orbitofrontal is
related to the evaluation of smells and tastes. This brain region also relates
to social and financial stimuli. Activity in the orbitofrontal diminishes in
line with the experience of satiety for a particular food stuff, so the
subjective pleasantness of food is modulated by how much has already been
eaten. The study compared the brain processing of subjects attempting to
maintain a healthy diet, with subjects who were not concerned with this. The
decisions of both groups related to activity in the ventromedial cortex, but
for those seeking a healthier diet decisions were also related to the executive
area of the dorsolateral prefrontal, so brain processing as well as actual
choices is different for the healthy eating group. Although the authors
describe this without further comment, the additional intervention of the
dorsolateral executive function does seem to conflict with the widely held
stance that there is no element of freewill in these or any other type of
choice.
The behaviour of the amygdala also goes beyond a simple one-to-one
response to external stimuli. In response to food stuffs there is greater
activity in the amygdala when the subject is hungry, and there is also greater
activity in relation to food that were liked by the subject and a reduction
when there was satiety.
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