Decreasing dislike for sour and bitter in children and adults

Strategies for preference conditioning were investigated in children (Experiment 1) and adults (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, subjects were 49 children, between the ages of 2 and 5 years old. The results showed that initially mixing grapefruit juice with the sweet taste of sucrose increased liking for the sour taste of grapefruit juice (without the added sucrose) and that this increased liking persisted weeks later. In Experiment 2, subjects were 62 undergraduates with a median age of 18 years. Consistent with Experiment 1, the results showed that initially mixing broccoli or cauliflower with the sweet taste of sugar increased liking for the bitter taste of these vegetables. The results are discussed in terms of decreasing dislike for fruits and vegetables.