<p>I have speculated that it arises from two cognitive biases — but pardon that I will present my conjecture without citations.  (This isn't my focal area)</p>

<ol>
<li>our bias for music shows we dis-prefer arhythmic noises.</li>
<li>the arhythmic noise is unpredictable.</li>
</ol>

<p>I think there may also be dissonance between a sympathetic response (to hunger at food odors and others' savoring of flavors), against a conscious choice not to be eating at that time. (only in the case where the person(s) experience <a href="https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&amp;ion=1&amp;espv=2&amp;ie=UTF-8#q=misophonia" rel="nofollow">misophonia</a> are not also eating)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-19T14:24:58.280Z
I don't think it has to do with music and rhythm. I suspect any kind of munching rhythmic or non-rhythmic is equally disturbing to some people. And there is not "a bias for music", you are misusing the term. You could say there is pattern extraction of some kind but again this is not entirely relevant to munching which appears to have roots in cultural belief systems
Lazaros Mitskopoulos
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-19T17:11:28.350Z
Munching is rhythmic and highly predictable.
jona
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-19T17:28:13.513Z
@jona the mechanics of mastication are not rhythmic.  Snaps and pops occur randomly in respect to jaws-up or jaws-down.
New Alexandria
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-19T17:38:33.060Z
@LarryM. Ecological Psychology succinctly describes the arhythmic concept of stimulus (as a highest-value aberration within the perceptual field).  Rhythmic and arhythmic stimulus would only be of equal value for organisms with 'lowered' (uniform) discrimination.  So perhaps misophonia is correlated with increased auditory discrimination?
New Alexandria
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-19T12:41:39.410Z
2014-09-19T12:41:39.410Z
New Alexandria
<p>When someone who eats food is munching, it sounds quite unpleasant for most of the people.
What is the reason for this?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-19T05:51:14.377Z
Just to be clear. Are you talking specifically about eating with your mouth open?
Jeromy Anglim
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-19T06:40:04.257Z
Yes and the sound you make with your mouth.
CuriousSuperhero
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-12-09T12:25:02.593Z
This question is too broad, mostly opinion-based, and culturally biased.
AliceD
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-01-06T17:50:54.127Z
It sounds like you're referring to misophonia, which seems to be caused by overactive anterior insular cortex, 2017 research reports: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-38842561 Also, 23andMe claims that it might be in part genetic: https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/23andme-new-report-wake-time-cilantro
Justas
<cognitive-psychology><evolution>
Why does munching sound unpleasant to most people?
CuriousSuperhero
# Why does munching sound unpleasant to most people?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-09-18)

When someone who eats food is munching, it sounds quite unpleasant for most of the people.
What is the reason for this?

**Tags:** cognitive-psychology, evolution

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Just to be clear. Are you talking specifically about eating with your mouth open?  
> **username_0**: Yes and the sound you make with your mouth.  
> **username_2**: This question is too broad, mostly opinion-based, and culturally biased.  
> **username_3**: It sounds like you're referring to misophonia, which seems to be caused by overactive anterior insular cortex, 2017 research reports: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-38842561 Also, 23andMe claims that it might be in part genetic: https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/23andme-new-report-wake-time-cilantro  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2014-09-19. Score: -6

I have speculated that it arises from two cognitive biases — but pardon that I will present my conjecture without citations. (This isn't my focal area)

1. our bias for music shows we dis-prefer arhythmic noises.
2. the arhythmic noise is unpredictable.

I think there may also be dissonance between a sympathetic response (to hunger at food odors and others' savoring of flavors), against a conscious choice not to be eating at that time. (only in the case where the person(s) experience [misophonia](https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=misophonia) are not also eating)

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: I don't think it has to do with music and rhythm. I suspect any kind of munching rhythmic or non-rhythmic is equally disturbing to some people. And there is not "a bias for music", you are misusing the term. You could say there is pattern extraction of some kind but again this is not entirely relevant to munching which appears to have roots in cultural belief systems  
> **username_6**: Munching is rhythmic and highly predictable.  
> **username_4**: @username_6 the mechanics of mastication are not rhythmic.  Snaps and pops occur randomly in respect to jaws-up or jaws-down.  
> **username_4**: @LarryM. Ecological Psychology succinctly describes the arhythmic concept of stimulus (as a highest-value aberration within the perceptual field).  Rhythmic and arhythmic stimulus would only be of equal value for organisms with 'lowered' (uniform) discrimination.  So perhaps misophonia is correlated with increased auditory discrimination?  

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