Introduction Food craving is a ubiquitous experience, often shaped by cultural familiarity. Although craving may be considered a culture-bound construct, its neural and behavioral underpinnings across food cultures remain limited. Here, we examined the effects of multisensory food exposure on craving in an Indian population, comparing Indian and Western foods across sweet and savory categories. Methods In Experiment 1 (Indian Food Craving; IFC), participants viewed Indian sweet and savory food images before and after multisensory exposure, reporting desire and willingness-to-pay (bid) ratings along with Food Craving Questionnaire-State (FCQ-S) scores. EEG was recorded using a 64-channel system. In Experiment 2 (Western Food Craving; WFC), participants completed a similar paradigm using Western food items. Results Multisensory exposure significantly increased FCQ-S scores in both experiments, indicating successful craving induction. Behaviorally, desire and bid ratings increased for both sweet and savory Indian foods, whereas for Western foods, increases were observed only for sweet items. ERP analyses revealed increased P200 and N200 amplitudes following exposure to Indian sweet foods, while LPP amplitudes increased for savory foods across both Indian and Western food categories. Complementary MVPA revealed enhanced pre- vs. post-exposure classification for sweet foods during the early (0–300 ms) window for both Indian and Western foods, whereas both sweet and savory foods showed significant classification during the later(300–600 ms) window. Discussion Together, these findings suggest that multisensory exposure modulates food-cue processing in a stimulus- and time-dependent manner, with possible contributions from attentional processes. Overall, the findings highlight the influence of food type and cultural context on craving-related neural and behavioral responses.
Abstract Understanding verbal humor in a second language (L2) is a hallmark of advanced communicative competence, yet its time course remains unclear. This study investigates the role of L2 exposure intensity in humor comprehension. Forty-two English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners (Intense vs. Limited Exposure) read jokes in which identical punchlines followed humorous or coherent setups and judged funniness. Behavioral results showed that responses were slower to humorous than to coherent endings, and accuracy was higher in the Intense Exposure group than in the Limited Exposure group. ERPs showed a larger N400 to humorous endings compared to coherent endings. A P600 effect to humorous endings was observed in the Intense Exposure group but not in the Limited Exposure group, suggesting greater engagement of reinterpretation under Intense Exposure. These findings support a conditioned two-stage model of L2 humor in which early detection is broadly preserved, whereas later reinterpretation depends on L2 exposure intensity.
درک شوخ‌طبعی کلامی در زبان دوم (L2) نشانه‌ای از شایستگی ارتباطی پیشرفته است، اما روند زمانی آن همچنان نامشخص باقی مانده است. این پژوهش نقش شدت مواجهه با زبان دوم را در درک شوخ‌طبعی بررسی می‌کند. چهل‌و‌دو زبان‌آموز انگلیسی به عنوان زبان خارجی (EFL) (گروه مواجهه شدید در برابر مواجهه محدود) لطیفه‌هایی را خواندند که در آن‌ها پایان‌بندی‌های یکسان پس از مقدمه‌های شوخ‌طبعانه یا منسجم ارائه می‌شد و میزان خنده‌دار بودن را ارزیابی کردند. نتایج رفتاری نشان داد که واکنش‌ها به پایان‌بندی‌های شوخ‌طبعانه کندتر از پایان‌بندی‌های منسجم بود و دقت در گروه مواجهه شدید بالاتر از گروه مواجهه محدود بود. ERPها نشان دادند که مولفه N400 به پایان‌بندی‌های شوخ‌طبعانه نسبت به پایان‌بندی‌های منسجم بزرگ‌تر بود. اثر P600 نسبت به پایان‌بندی‌های شوخ‌طبعانه فقط در گروه مواجهه شدید مشاهده شد و در گروه مواجهه محدود دیده نشد که بیانگر درگیری بیشتر در تفسیر مجدد تحت مواجهه شدید است. این یافته‌ها از مدل دوسویه شرطی‌شده شوخ‌طبعی در زبان دوم حمایت می‌کند که در آن شناسایی اولیه تا حد زیادی حفظ می‌شود، در حالی که تفسیر مجدد متأخر وابسته به شدت مواجهه با زبان دوم است.
