Love is blind: the ironic effect of fans’ experience on taste perception

Many consumers may proclaim a love for a certain sensory experience (e.g., the taste of chocolate for “chocoholics”). These fans may have a wealth of experience consuming the product they love. In three studies, we find that these fans’ love actually blinds them in their ability to report nuances about the products they consume because of the use of top-down information processing. However, when presented with novel brand information, fans switch to a more bottom-up approach which allows greater discernment of the consumption experience. Prompting mindful consumption can also impact a fan’s ability to report a product’s nuances more accurately.