Sensory Test Ii - Chapter 13

Front 1

What are 3 reasons why you want to avoid taking on a preference task to a triangle test?

Back 1

1 Different panels - a discrimination panel is not a consumer panel
2 Two different mindsets during each test type - difference is analytical vs integrative
3 General problem with what to do with those who got triangle test wrong but showed a preference; plus, some who got tri test right only did so by guessing

Front 2

What are the pros for including a no-preference option in a paired preference test?

(cons on next card)

Back 2

Pros:
- Some people truly have no preference and this allows them to voice it
- if Choice "a" and choice "b" are equally liked, there is a big difference in tests when 85 report no preference vs 5 (ie there may be one group that likes a and one that likes b)

Front 3

What are the cons for including a no-preference option in a paired preference test?

(cons on next card)

Back 3

Cons:
- Lower powered test
- more difficult stat analysis
- they may be able to detect a difference but it's not "large" enough for them to report it (or they don't want to take time to decide if there is a difference)

Front 4

Subjects did not perceive a significant difference in firmness between samples on the 1st day of testing. When the second samples tasted were compared, they found a significant difference. Why?

Back 4

The consumers frame of reference for "firmness" was lacking on day 1 - on day 2, they could use their previous judgments of firmness to rate the samples.

Front 5

What type of sensory test would you recommend for measuring small children’s (e.g. less than 3 year olds) liking for foods? What techniques would you recommend for measuring 4-5 year olds preferences?

Back 5

Younger than 3: a paired preference test with one-on-one coaching works
Older children can either do that or rate using a 5 of 7-pt hedonic scale with P&K verbal descriptors (like "super good, etc.).

Front 6

What does the just-right scale measure? What bias needs to be avoided?

Back 6

It measures the desirability of an attribute & these scales are often used to determine optimum levels of attributes in products. It combines hedonic/intensity judgments & provides directional info for prod. development.

**Centering bias** the middle product usually winds up in the middle of the scale regardless of whether or not it's "just right"

Front 7

Explain what the authors mean when they say “in the combination of hedonic and intensity information, the actual intensity scores are obscured”.

Back 7

When scales that combine hedonic & intensity information are used (like the JR scale), the missing piece of information is: how intense does the subject like it? By not asking intensity directly, you don't know how intense people perceive it.

Front 8

What are the advantages to having subjects score both the intensity and the intensity of an ideal sample?

Back 8

1. Absolute intensity scores are obtained & relative to ideal
2. Individual scores can be represented as a deviation from ideal & 'just right' can be figured out
3. ** An Ideal Product Profile can be constructed

Front 9

What is the bliss point?

Back 9

You should know to draw this!

The bliss point is the optimum intensity and appears as the peak in a nonmonotonic function.

The JAR scale "unwraps" this function for easier modeling

Front 10

What measurement of a concentration vs. liking or a concentration vs. JAR response may serve as an indicator of a judge’s tolerance for deviations from an ideal level of an ingredient?

Back 10

?! No answer - asking mary

Front 11

What is the food action rating scale? How does it compare with the 9-point hedonic scale?

Back 11

It's an action-oriented index of food acceptance, and it has 9-levels. Scale terms are based on attitudes, actions, and some motivationally related statements. An example is "I would eat this very often" Results tend to correlate to results from 9-pt hedonic scaling of the product.

Front 12

What is the “Acceptor set size”?

Back 12

It's the proportion of consumers who find a product acceptable. Variables of a product that have a strong impact on changing the acceptor size set would be the most influential in optimizing

Front 13

Compare and contrast the use of a 9-point hedonic scale vs. the use of an Acceptor set size measurement.

Back 13

- Acceptor size set tells you one measurement only / hedonic scaling provides much more information regarding the product
- the two values do not nec. match - higher preference ratings on a scale do not always match up with acceptance.
- acceptor size set more robust to strongly opinionated judges (who rate very high or low using 9 pt scale)

Front 14

What are the most important qualifications for participants in consumer tests?

Back 14

- That they are regular consumers/purchasers of the product category
- That they are representative of the target population
- That they like the product

Front 15

What are some potential problems with using employee panelists for liking tests?

Back 15

- Employees may not represent the target population & may not respond the same way customers would
- Employees may have unusual usage patterns
- Employees are often more familiar/critical of the product

Front 16

How can you determine whether an employee panel is responding in the same manner as an outside consumer panel?

Back 16

Regularly check the results derived from the employee panel with those derived from consumers recruited outside the company; analyze with a slit-plot ANOVA & if F-value for panel is significant, there responses are different. Panel*Product interaction is also telling.