Primary Biological Motivators in Food Advertisements: Energy Density and Sexual Appeals Compete for Appetitive Motivational Activation

Abstract

Energy density of food potentiates appetitive responses due to biologically driven behaviors that encourage energy conservation. Sexual stimuli potentiate appetitive responses due to biologically imperative needs to pass on genetic information. This article examined how these primary biological motivators, when presented together, influenced individuals’ responses to food advertisements. Competing hypotheses were developed using communication and behavioral ecology theory and tested in two studies. Young adults viewed food advertisements that varied in presence of sex appeal and the energy density level of the food advertised. Psychophysiological responses, recognition memory, and self-reported emotional experience data were obtained. In general, results support an ecological interpretation in which these motivators can be viewed as competing rather than additive. Furthermore, sex of the viewer plays a role in response to these motivators that may be attributable to differences in the costs of procreative activities for males and females.