Any evolutionary psychologists in the house?

[Lozzer]

I was reading in Dan Dennett's Breaking The Spell that humans have a taste for sugar, if only due to our ancestors' consumption of fruit and what-not for high sources of energy. We acquired the ability to taste 'sweetness' because of this 'liking'. Fruit co-evolved with us, as our senses were enhanced to enjoy the 'sweetness' and fruit aesthetically developed to appear more seducing to animals, and us. If this is the case, as Dennett purports, does it explain why we decorate confectionery with bright, tantalizing packaging? Sweets are marketed in such a way because it works at a fundamental level, particularly with children. But is this why?


We must naturally associate sugar-content with colours, surely?

[Animavore]

I'm not an evolutionary psychologist but I am a child rapist so I feel qualified to answer this one.

Yes.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Do other animals like sweet things? I think so. Do we know that dinosaurs didn't?

[Lozzer]

I'm not an evolutionary psychologist but I am a child rapist so I feel qualified to answer this one.

Yes.

LOL YOU'RE SILLY THAT ISN'T QUANTIFIABLE ANSWER AND I HOPE YOU GAIN GOD

[Feck]

ERM Fruit is often coloured esp when ripe if you are fruit picking you look for the colour , why is this difficult ?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

ERM Fruit is often coloured esp when ripe if you are fruit picking you look for the colour , why is this difficult ?

I've seen some very colorful fruits in my time:

Trigger Warning!!!1! :

[Feck]

ERM Fruit is often coloured esp when ripe if you are fruit picking you look for the colour , why is this difficult ?

I've seen some very colorful fruits in my time:

Trigger Warning!!!1! :

did you mean colourful Fags ?

Trigger Warning!!!1! :

[Gawdzilla Sama]

ERM Fruit is often coloured esp when ripe if you are fruit picking you look for the colour , why is this difficult ?

I've seen some very colorful fruits in my time:

Trigger Warning!!!1! :

did you mean colourful Fags ?

Trigger Warning!!!1! :

Can you get those in the Tube?

[Feck]

ERM Fruit is often coloured esp when ripe if you are fruit picking you look for the colour , why is this difficult ?

I've seen some very colorful fruits in my time:

Trigger Warning!!!1! :

did you mean colourful Fags ?

Trigger Warning!!!1! :

Can you get those in the Tube?

Are you pissed ?

[Lozzer]

ERM Fruit is often coloured esp when ripe if you are fruit picking you look for the colour , why is this difficult ?

No shit, but you've missed my point.

[Feck]

ERM Fruit is often coloured esp when ripe if you are fruit picking you look for the colour , why is this difficult ?

No shit, but you've missed my point.

Why sweets are bright colours ? or why children like bright colours ? oh don't bother I'm bored now

[Geoff]

I was reading in Dan Dennett's Breaking The Spell that humans have a taste for sugar, if only due to our ancestors' consumption of fruit and what-not for high sources of energy. We acquired the ability to taste 'sweetness' because of this 'liking'. Fruit co-evolved with us, as our senses were enhanced to enjoy the 'sweetness' and fruit aesthetically developed to appear more seducing to animals, and us. If this is the case, as Dennett purports, does it explain why we decorate confectionery with bright, tantalizing packaging? Sweets are marketed in such a way because it works at a fundamental level, particularly with children. But is this why?


We must naturally associate sugar-content with colours, surely?

Nope, because you'd also have to explain why so many other things are advertised with bright colours. Advertisers use bright colours/lights to try and make their products stand out from the background and be more noticed. The problem is now that there is so much advertising, and thus so many bright colours, that the advertising has become the very background they're trying to contrast with.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

[Mr.Samsa]

I was reading in Dan Dennett's Breaking The Spell that humans have a taste for sugar, if only due to our ancestors' consumption of fruit and what-not for high sources of energy. We acquired the ability to taste 'sweetness' because of this 'liking'. Fruit co-evolved with us, as our senses were enhanced to enjoy the 'sweetness' and fruit aesthetically developed to appear more seducing to animals, and us. If this is the case, as Dennett purports, does it explain why we decorate confectionery with bright, tantalizing packaging? Sweets are marketed in such a way because it works at a fundamental level, particularly with children. But is this why?


We must naturally associate sugar-content with colours, surely?

Nope, because you'd also have to explain why so many other things are advertised with bright colours. Advertisers use bright colours/lights to try and make their products stand out from the background and be more noticed. The problem is now that there is so much advertising, and thus so many bright colours, that the advertising has become the very background they're trying to contrast with.

What's the alternative? Advertise things with bland and forgettable colours?

As a general rule of thumb, if Dan Dennett believes in it, then it's probably either wrong or an exaggeration of the actual facts. In addition, most evo psych claims are bullshit, so ask for a reference to the research when somebody says something like this is true (I doubt Dennett references his claim because he prefers to deal with fantastical speculation, not facts).

[Lozzer]

I was reading in Dan Dennett's Breaking The Spell that humans have a taste for sugar, if only due to our ancestors' consumption of fruit and what-not for high sources of energy. We acquired the ability to taste 'sweetness' because of this 'liking'. Fruit co-evolved with us, as our senses were enhanced to enjoy the 'sweetness' and fruit aesthetically developed to appear more seducing to animals, and us. If this is the case, as Dennett purports, does it explain why we decorate confectionery with bright, tantalizing packaging? Sweets are marketed in such a way because it works at a fundamental level, particularly with children. But is this why?


We must naturally associate sugar-content with colours, surely?

Nope, because you'd also have to explain why so many other things are advertised with bright colours. Advertisers use bright colours/lights to try and make their products stand out from the background and be more noticed. The problem is now that there is so much advertising, and thus so many bright colours, that the advertising has become the very background they're trying to contrast with.

What's the alternative? Advertise things with bland and forgettable colours?

As a general rule of thumb, if Dan Dennett believes in it, then it's probably either wrong or an exaggeration of the actual facts. In addition, most evo psych claims are bullshit, so ask for a reference to the research when somebody says something like this is true (I doubt Dennett references his claim because he prefers to deal with fantastical speculation, not facts).

I have never read a book with so many citations, actually.