Research on overeating and self-regulation has associated eating pleasure with short-term visceral impulses triggered by hunger, external cues, or internal emotional urges. Drawing on research on the social and cultural dimensions of eating, we contrast this approach with what we call "Epicurean" eating pleasure, which is the enduring pleasure derived from the aesthetic appreciation of the sens...

In the 15th century a middle-aged Italian citizen of noble ancestry, Luis Cornaro, had been living a life of gluttony. His indulgent lifestyle included extravagant food and, shall we say, frequent indulgence in sensual pleasure. Upon realizing that his health was slipping away, Cornaro consulted a physician who advised him that his habits would lead to his early demise. The recommended dietary ...

Impairments in social motivational processes may partially explain the differences in social interaction seen among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The social motivation hypothesis would predict an association between reduced hedonic capacity and ASD. However, to date, findings have been mixed regarding hedonic deficits among individuals with ASD; adults report lower levels of ...

The book How Pleasure Works, by Paul Bloom, is less about how pleasure works and more about exactly what pleasure is—or rather what the essence of pleasure is. Nevertheless, it is a delightful treatise from an evolutionary psychologist's point of view on why we enjoy certain things more than others. Obviously, there is a direct biological need for food, shelter, and reproduction of the species ...

Understanding how emotions can affect pleasure has important implications both for people and for firms’ communication strategies. Prior research has shown that experienced pleasure often assimilates to the valence of one’s active emotions, such that negative emotions decrease pleasure. In contrast, the authors demonstrate that the activation of guilt, a negative emotion, enhances the pleasure ...

Understanding how emotions can affect pleasure has important implications both for people and for firms’ communication strategies. Prior research has shown that experienced pleasure often assimilates to the valence of one’s active emotions, such that negative emotions decrease pleasure. In contrast, the authors demonstrate that the activation of guilt, a negative emotion, enhances the pleasure ...