Japanese study finds KFC’s paripari crispy chicken sound increases blood flow in brain, appetite

Recent research study investigates the role that not only taste and smell play in increasing your appetite, but sound as well.

On April 10, KFC Japan stores nationwide began selling their new line of Paripari Chicken. “Paripari” is Japanese onomatopoeia used to denote the sound of eating something that’s particularly crunchy and crispy, though it can also refer to a state of liveliness. The Paripari Chicken recipe is described as simple with a light seasoning of salt and pepper in order to maximize its umami flavor and crunchy texture.

The release of this new menu item coincided with the release of an academic study that was conducted to shed light on the effects of sound while eating. Spearheaded by Emeritus Professor Yoshihiko Koga of Kyorin University in Mitaka, Tokyo, the study concluded with two major findings:

1. The presence of the paripari sounds while eating strikingly increased participants’ blood flow in the frontal lobe of the brain and also increased saliva.
2. The presence of the paripari sounds while eating increased participants’ self-awareness regarding their feelings of hunger, appetite, and positivity.

First, eight healthy individuals were asked to eat chicken for three minutes while listening to paripari sounds and then without listening to them. Their brains’ frontal lobe blood flow was measured using a Spectratech OEG-16ME with 16 measurement sensors attached. Second, participants watched KFC commercials for five minutes both featuring paripari sounds and then not featuring them. Their saliva levels were measured and they also completed a visual analog scale survey of a series of data points related to their self-awareness of their present emotions. Participants were not allowed to eat for two hours prior to the experiment.

Results of Part I

The following diagram illustrates the difference in participants’ blood flow in the frontal lobe of their brains:

▼ Left: while listening to the paripari sounds, Right: while not listening to the paripari sounds

Similarly, here’s a comparison of quantity of blood flow in the frontal lobe both while listening to the paripari sounds (red bar) and while not listening to them (grey bar):

▼ Vertical axis: blood flow in the frontal lobe, Horizontal axis: eight sections of the frontal lobe

As can be seen, there was a demonstrable increase in participants’ brain blood circulation, particularly in section CH9 of the frontal lobe, while they were listening to the paripari sounds.

Results of Part II

Participants watched the following KFC commercials for five minutes, both while listening to the paripari sounds and while not listening to them (note: you should only watch these clips during a time when KFC stores are operating, because you may just find yourself with an overwhelming desire for fried chicken after viewing them!).

▼ KFC’s Paripari Chicken (sushi edit)

▼ KFC’s Paripari Chicken (bread edit)

This graph illustrates the difference in the amount of saliva (in grams) generated when participants were listening to the paripari sounds (red bar) versus when they were not (grey bar):

For the visual analog scale survey, participants responded to a series of 14 data points regarding their current emotions as well as eight data points regarding taste and appetite. Three of the former points are illustrated below (red bar = while listening to paripari sounds, grey bar = while not listening to paripari sounds):

    ▼ First column: “I am hungry.” Second column: “My stomach is empty.” Third column: “I feel energetic.”

These results also indicated an increase in saliva, appetite, and overall feelings of positive energy when participants were subjected to the sounds.

If you’d like to informally attempt to replicate these experiment results, swing by your local KFC Japan to stock up on the new Paripari Chicken! We’ll leave you to determine the best way to measure your saliva levels…

Source: PR Times
Featured image: PR Times
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