Abstract:

As global health challenges continue toto escalate, effectively guiding consumers towards healthier dietary decisions has become a critical public health concern. While previous researches have extensively explored the influence of individual sensory cues on food choices, food decisions in real world are inherently multisensory, involving the integration of visual, auditory olfactory, and other sensory inputs. Therefore, this study investigates how combinations of environmental multisensory cues can enhance consumers’ expectations of the hedonic value and perceived healthfulness of food, thereby promoting healthier food choices.

Based on the framework of predictive coding theory, this study integrates multisensory processing with food reward-based decision-making and employs a series of experimental studies to systematically clarify the effects of multisensory cue integration on healthy dietary decision. First, by utilizing sensory descriptions and mental imagery, participants’ attention was directed toward multisensory cues associated with healthy food. The results demonstrate that combinations of multisensory cues can enhance consumers’ expectations of the hedonic value of healthy foods and increase their actual preference for such foods. This confirms the potential positive effects of multisensory cues in shaping healthier dietary behaviors, offering a robust foundation for further exploration of the underlying mechanisms.

Next, the study explores the neural mechanisms of multisensory value integration by employing electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques. The findings reveal that combinations of multisensory cues effectively facilitate the neural encoding of reward value across multiple cortical regions, including the visual cortex, auditory cortex, insula, and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). These regions play crucial roles in processing sensory information and integrating it into a unified reward representation. Additionally, by analyzing EEG and fMRI data, the study identifies the specific cognitive processing stages during which multisensory value integration occurs. Furthermore, the study utilizes the drift-diffusion model (DDM) to elucidate how multisensory cues influence the evidence accumulation process in value-based decision-making. The DDM analysis shows that multisensory cues not only accelerate the decision-making process but also improve the accuracy of healthy food choices by enhancing the fluency of sensory information processing.

From a practical application perspective, this study highlights the efficacy of the repeated multisensory exposure and multisensory imagery training as intervention methods to improving individuals’ attitudes toward healthy foods. By using virtual reality (VR), EEG, and fMRI technologies, the research shows that repeated exposure to multisensory cues associated with healthy foods can enhance consumers’ overall valuation of these foods and encourage the formation of long-term healthy dietary habits. Additionally, multisensory imagery training, which involves mentally simulating the sensory experience of healthy foods, was found to activate similar neural pathways as actual sensory exposure, further reinforcing positive attitudes toward healthy eating.

By integrating predictive coding theory with computational modeling and cognitive neuroscience techniques, this research provides a novel framework for understanding how multisensory cues influence healthy food decisions. These findings reveal that consistent multisensory stimulation can reduce sensory uncertainty and improve the fluency of information processing, thereby enhancing the perceived value of healthy foods. This theoretical advancement also provides a new explanatory framework for understanding how multisensory cues influence dietary decisions, moving beyond traditional single-sensory approaches. Moreover, the study introduces multisensory cue manipulation as a novel health nudging strategy, offering a scientific pathway to break the stereotype of “health = tasteless” and promote healthier eating habits among consumers.

In conclusion, this study systematically integrates behavioral experiments, neuroscience methodologies, and computational decision modeling methods to comprehensively reveal the underlying mechanisms through which multisensory cues drive healthy dietary decisions. By demonstrating the effectiveness of multisensory interventions in enhancing the hedonic value and perceived healthfulness of healthy foods, the research provides new theoretical insights and practical intervention strategies for public health. These findings hold significant implications for addressing global health challenges such as obesity and diabetes, offering a promising approach to encourage healthier eating behaviors and improve overall public health outcomes.

Key words: multisensory cues, nudging, healthy eating, value-based decision making, value-based learning