What people expect to be drinking can sway how much they enjoy sweet beverages—sometimes more than the drink’s actual ingredients—according to a new experiment that paired taste ratings with brain imaging. Researchers reported that anticipating sugar increased activity in a reward-linked midbrain region even when the drink contained an artificial sweetener.
Researchers from Radboud University, the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge tested whether expectations about a drink’s ingredients could change how much people enjoyed sweet flavors.
According to a report from the Society for Neuroscience published by ScienceDaily on April 9, 2026, the team studied 99 healthy adults with an average age of 24 who were selected because they held similar views about sugar and artificial sweeteners and generally reported liking both about the same.
In the experiment, the researchers subtly altered what participants believed they were consuming. When participants were told a drink contained artificial sweeteners, sugar-containing drinks were rated as less enjoyable. Conversely, when participants expected sugar, they reported greater enjoyment even when the drink actually used artificial sweeteners.
Brain imaging suggested the expectation effect extended beyond self-reported enjoyment. The Society for Neuroscience report said activity increased in what it described as a reward-related brain region when participants believed they were drinking sugar, even if the beverage did not in fact contain sugar.
The report linked the findings to a peer-reviewed study in The Journal of Neuroscience: Elena Mainetto, Margaret L. Westwater, Hisham Ziauddeen, Kelly M. J. Diederen and Paul C. Fletcher, “Expectation Modulates Hedonic Experiences and Midbrain Responses to Sweet Flavor,” published in 2026 (volume 46, issue 12) with DOI 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1121-25.2026.
