Subjects: Psychology >> Applied Psychology submitted time 2024-05-15
Abstract： The spontaneous human preference for high-calorie foods often leads to imbalanced dietary intake and contributes to obesity. Therefore, reducing the appeal of high-calorie foods and enhancing the appeal of low-calorie alternatives are crucial for promoting healthy eating. The aesthetics of food, which can be divided into classical and expressive beauty—both of which are perceived as equally attractive—play a vital role in enhancing its hedonic value. This study aimed to explore how these two aesthetic classifications affect the choice of high- or low-calorie foods using a food decision-making paradigm. By investigating the behavioural and neural mechanisms underlying the influence of different aesthetic features on healthy food choices, we sought to enhance our understanding of the intrinsic processes involved in dietary decision-making.
This study (N = 31) employed a within-subjects experimental design of 2 (Aesthetic features: classical beauty, expressive beauty) × 2 (Food calories: high, low) to explore how visual aesthetics and hedonic value influence dietary decisions. We combined behavioural measures, algorithmic modelling, and electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate this interaction. Specifically, a hierarchical drift diffusion model (HDDM) was used to fit participants’ response times (RTs) and choice data and estimate decision parameters, including drift rate (v), threshold (a), and nondecision time (ndt), for each condition separately. EEG recordings were collected according to the international 10-20 system using tin electrodes mounted on a flexible cap, capturing brain activity from 64 scalp locations. The N300, N400, and CPP event-related potentials (ERPs) were analysed as indices of calorie processing, aesthetic feature processing, and decision signal accumulation, respectively.
Behavioural results revealed that participants preferred high-calorie foods, as indicated by higher choice rates and shorter RTs, compared to low-calorie foods. Additionally, foods plated with classical beauty were chosen more frequently and with shorter RTs than those plated with expressive beauty. Notably, the influence of caloric content on food choice was significantly greater than that of aesthetic features. HDDM parameter estimation showed that high-calorie foods and those plated with classical beauty had higher drift rates, suggesting faster decision-making. Furthermore, aesthetic features moderated the impact of caloric content on drift rates: classical beauty decreased rejection speeds for low-calorie foods and increased their selection probability, while expressive beauty slowed the choice process for high-calorie foods and increased their rejection probability. EEG analysis revealed that low-calorie foods elicited a larger N300 amplitude than did high-calorie foods, indicating greater cognitive processing. Foods plated with expressive beauty elicited a larger N400 amplitude than those plated with classical beauty, indicating deeper semantic processing. Additionally, for high-calorie foods, the two aesthetic classes induced significant differences in CPP; however, for low-calorie foods, no significant differences were found. This pattern indicates that conflicts between caloric and aesthetic values increase decision-making difficulty.
In conclusion, the results showed that in dietary decision-making, classical beauty (vs. expressive beauty) was associated with greater aesthetic value and greater semantic processing fluency. Aesthetic value could significantly influence the perceived reward of calorie content. Additionally, the salience of calorie value exceeded that of aesthetic value. Furthermore, both synergistic and competitive interactions between caloric and aesthetic values occurred during the decision evidence accumulation process, reflecting the intensity of motivational conflict and affecting both decision speed (v) and decision difficulty (CPP). This study revealed the moderating effect and cognitive neural basis of aesthetic value in healthy eating decisions and provided guidance on the aesthetic design of food plating for promoting healthy eating choices in practical applications.
Subjects: Biology >> Botany submitted time 2023-01-30 Cooperative journals: 《广西植物》
LI Dabiao
ZHONG Yuping
GONG Xiaofei
ZHONG Lei
WEI Boliang
WU Chuping
LIU Jinliang
JIANG Bo
YU Shuisheng
YU Mingjian
Abstract：
Habitat filtering and dispersal limitation are the main ecological processes affecting species composition variation (βdiversity) in forest communities, but their relative importance in subtropical Masson pine (Pinus massoniana) forests remains unclear. Jointly analysis of how phylogenetic and species β diversity varies with habitat factors and geographic distance is critical to understanding the roles played by historical and current ecological processes in shaping the regional biodiversity. In this study, 39 Masson pine forest plots in Suichang County, Zhejiang Province were selected to analyze the species and phylogenetic β diversities, and the main ecological mechanisms driving the differences of species composition among communities were explored. Species β index (Bray-Curtis) and phylogenetic β diversity index (the mean phylogenetic dissimilarity, Dnn; the mean nearest taxon distance, Dpw) were calculated, and their correlation with habitat factors including soil and topography, as well as geographical distance were analyzed. The relative importance of habitat factors and geographical distance on species and phylogenetic β diversity was analyzed by variance partitioning. In addition, two life stages (divided by diameter class) and growth form for the same analyses. The results showed that: 1) Bray-Curtis index significantly correlated with soil factors, topographic factors and geographical distance. Dnn correlated with geographical distance only. Dpw correlated with soil factors and geographical distance. 2) The explanatory degree of habitat factors to Bray-Curtis and Dpw was higher than that of geographical distance. 3) For species diversity, habitat factors could better explain Bray-Curtis of both life stages than geographical distance. For phylogenetic diversity, geographical distance could better explain Dnn and Dpw of seedling stage, while habitat factors were more likely to explain Dpw of adult stage. To conclude, The results show that habitat filtering is the main ecological mechanism driving species and phylogenetic β diversity of Masson pine forests in this region. Dispersal limitation plays a dominant role in the β diversity of Masson pine forests only at the sapling stage. The most important finding of this research is that the main mechanism drives species and phylogenetic β diversity in Masson pine forests is different, which highlights the necessity of joint analysis of species and phylogenetic β diversity. This research also suggest that the main ecological mechanism phylogenetic β diversity may change as plants shift across different growth stages.
Subjects: Civil Engineering and Building Construction >> Civil Construction Engineering submitted time 2017-12-05 Cooperative journals: 《土木建筑工程信息技术》
Abstract：利用BIM技术，建立了湖南广电节目生产基地项目深基坑支护桩锚三维信息模型，实现了预应力锚索的预建造，辅助工程师提前发现了图纸中存在的问题，并采取相应措施进行了处理。通过BIM技术的应用，重点发现并解决了原设计图纸中预应力锚索的碰撞问题，将碰撞报告提交设计院进行了图纸优化设计，并制作了三维可视化交底动画，为项目深基坑支护工程按期、保质完成提供了强有力的技术支持，取得了良好的经济效益与社会效益。
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