ABSTRACT
We investigated the contribution of hunger and food liking to food reward, and the relationship between
food reward and food intake. We defined liking as the pleasantness of taste of food in the mouth, and
food reward as the momentary value of a food to the individual at the time of ingestion. Liking and food
reward were measured, respectively, by ratings of the pleasantness of the taste of a mouthful, and ratings
of desire to eat a portion, of the food in question. Hunger, which we view as primarily the absence of
fullness, was rated without food being present. Study 1 provided evidence that hunger and liking con-
tribute independently to food reward, with little effect of hunger on liking. Food intake reduced liking
and reward value more for the eaten food than uneaten foods. The results were ambiguous as to whether
this food-specific decline in reward value (‘sensory-specific satiety’) involved a decrease in ‘wanting’ in
addition to the decrease in liking. Studies 2 and 3 compared desire to eat ratings with work-for-food and
pay-for-food measures of food reward, and found desire to eat to be equal or superior in respect of effects
of hunger and liking, and superior in predicting ad libitum food intake. A further general observation
was that in making ratings of food liking participants may confuse the pleasantness of the taste of food
with the pleasantness of eating it. The latter, which some call ‘palatability,’ decreases more with eating
because it is significantly affected by hunger/fullness. Together, our results demonstrate the validity of
ratings of desire to eat a portion of a tasted food as a measure of food reward and as a predictor of food
intake.