The scientific reason why nobody dares to eat the last olive

MadridYou've surely encountered it. They bring a small plate of olives (or ham, or cured meats, or whatever). And quickly, the people around the table start nibbling. The plump olives are replaced by scrawny pits in a flash. But suddenly the pace stops. Only one remains. And no one dares to take it. It sits there in the middle until the waiter comes and says, "Won't anyone take the one of shame?" Everyone laughs, and someone says, "I'll do it, go ahead."

Why does this happen? What mechanism makes us repeat the moment of the single olive over and over again? Ferran Centelles, sommelier and coordinator of the latest volume of the Bullipedia of Wine, calls it "the last olive bias." This bias, and others, which we'll review below, have been studied in depth to explain them in the book that will be published next June. This volume will be the last in the wine encyclopedia collection, and will be entitled Wines VIII, The customer experience in the gourmet restaurantUnlike the other books in the collection, this one has had the most input from Ferran Adrià, as it doesn't just cover technical aspects of wine, but focuses on the diner's experience. Centelles explains that there are many common biases, extensively studied by psychology, but they have undertaken the exercise of identifying them in the context of a bar or restaurant. As Lluís García, head waiter at El Bulli and director of ElBullifoundation, explained at the Madrid Fusión gastronomic congress, understanding how people work allows for better service, since the perspective of the person serving may be different. For example, how many times have we felt we waited too long for the bill, while the person serving us didn't think it was that long? An economic reason

The reason these biases arise, according to Centelles, is that "the brain is very energy-intensive: although it only represents 2% of body weight, it consumes around 20% of all available energy." This would be equivalent to about 450 kcal out of the 2200 kcal that should be consumed daily on average. "Thus," Centelles continues, "the brain often tends to operate in 'saving mode.' To reduce expenditure, the brain uses mental shortcuts, heuristics, instead of deep and rational calculations." These shortcuts that our brain uses to easily solve problems are quick and efficient, but they generate biases. The brain constantly receives stimuli, so processing all the information would be too costly. "Analyzing every piece of data, every stimulus, or every decision logically would consume energy that the brain cannot constantly afford; that's why the brain generalizes and simplifies." This economizing is nothing more than an evolutionary strategy. It allows us to respond quickly without wasting resources. This perfect mechanism for ensuring our survival often fails in modern environments.

Furthermore, it's worth noting that subjective perception is easier to make than objective analysis. "The brain is guided by prior associations, emotions, and expectations to decide more quickly, which explains systematic errors such as confirmation bias or the halo effect," explains Centelles.

We see some of these biases adapted in the restaurant industry. Let's start with the olive bias, Centelles's own favorite. "It's an implicit social norm: in many cultures, taking the last bite of a shared dish is interpreted as a gesture of selfishness or hoarding, so we avoid seeming impolite. The thing is, we're very sensitive to how others see us." As humans, we have a highly developed social conscience and constantly think about how others will perceive us. Even when it comes down to a single olive.

This is where the fact that feeling shame is a human trait comes into play. "We are the only species that blushes from social embarrassment. It's not because of the olive itself, but out of fear of how we will be perceived," explains Centelles. He adds that sharing food is a deeply cultural act. "Sharing food implies cooperation, respect, and reputation. That's why small details like the last bite trigger disproportionate social emotions."

Other biases

Aside from the olive bias, Centelles lists other biases. One that he finds especially dangerous as a sommelier is confirmation bias. If someone believes the wine isn't good, it will be very difficult to change their mind, as they will be more receptive to any information that validates their belief. If we combine this with bandwagon bias, it can be even worse. This is popularly known as "jumping on the bandwagon," a tendency to behave or react the way the crowd does. Like when one person finds a pan of food too salty, everyone ends up finding it too.

There are two biases directly linked to emotions. The attentional bias, in which we pay more attention to matters that involve an emotional connection. If what they've eaten excites them, the customer is more attentive. This is because the most powerful emotions are negative. For example, in loss aversion bias, emotions are very strong because people feel they are being denied something. When they don't have the wine you want, when the nice table with a view isn't available, or when there's simply no room in the restaurant, these emotions will be stronger and more memorable. And finally, since we're talking about negativity, surely everyone knows of a case: the Von Restorff effect. This involves focusing judgments on negativity or criticism because it garners more relevance or attention than other options. "Like those critics or customers who only complain or use negative criticism to get more attention," Centelles explains.