A Sweet Romance: Divergent Effects of Romantic Stimuli on the Consumption of Sweets

Abstract Drawing from research on food consumption, conceptual metaphors, and assimilation and contrast, we examine how exposure to romantic stimuli (e.g., watching a romantic ad, reading a romantic note) affects consumers’ subsequent consumption of sweets. Across five studies, we find that romantic stimuli exposure increases sweet food consumption among abstract thinkers but reduces sweet food intake among concrete thinkers. We also identify the moderating role of metaphor content on this finding such that the effects of romantic exposure on the consumption of sweets occur only when the metaphoric association between love and sweetness is highlighted but dissipate when a competing metaphor is accentuated.