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Chocolate and Cheese: Their Effects on Mood
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by Valerie Grose - Washburn University
Researchers have related several food factors to an effect on mood, most notably
sweet flavor, carbohydrates, fat, and the chemical compounds in chocolate.
The purpose of this study was to parse these different characteristics in select
foods to determine which has the pivotal effect on mood. Participants (N =
105) consumed chocolate (white, milk, or dark) or cheese and completed a
preconsumption and postconsumption Positive and Negative Affect Schedule
mood test. Participants showed a general decline in positive affect. Women who
ate dark chocolate had a significant rise in negative affect. Women who ate
cheese experienced a decrease in negative affect.
Fall 2010 | Psi Chi Journal of Undergraduate Research (Vol. 15, No. 3, p. 168), published by Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology (Chattanooga, TN). Copyright, 2010, Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology. All rights reserved.