Responses of the Autonomic Nervous System to Flavors

Multisensory flavor perception plays an important role in decision-making, for instance for food products. Autonomic nervous system (ANS) responses, such as heart rate and skin conductance responses, towards such flavor stimuli may provide insights into processes related to consumer acceptance that are poorly accessible with traditional sensory and consumer tests because they are largely subconscious and/or relatively fast and short-lasting. This chapter reviews the origin of ANS responses, their temporal dynamics, as well as their specificity with regard to product emotions and valence. Practical implications—and limitations—of ANS measurements will be discussed, as well as a view on how they could be integrated into consumer research.