Sensory Analysis

Question 1

What is perception?

Answer 1

process of selecting, organizing and interpreting raw sensory data into useful mental representations of the world.

Question 2

What is sensation?

Answer 2

process of receiving stimulus energies from external environment.

Question 3

Figure vs ground

Answer 3

Figure (focal image) = vanilla, blackcurrant, violet. Ground (surrounding) = vinous aroma, aroma buffer, no individual aromas. sometime ambiguous

Question 4

Grouping

Answer 4

tend to organize elements into groups/unified wholes

Question 5

Analytic vs Configural perception

Answer 5

Analytic: recognize parts of objects (strawberry, caramel)
Configural: recognize larger configurations (strawberry+caramel=pineapple)
SYSTEMS WORK IN PARALLEL

Question 6

Bottom-Up Processing vs Top-Down Processing

Answer 6

• Bottom-Up Processing = feature analysis
• Top-Down Processing = knowledge fills in gap, creates expectations
• SYSTEMS WORK TOGETHER

Question 7

Expectation: situational context

Answer 7

expectations shape actual perception, cannot control

Question 8

Stereotype effect

Answer 8

negative characteristics of some and apply to all. (ex: wines from NJ are bad)

Question 9

Spill over effect

Answer 9

evaluations of co-occurring products: bad NJ wine, the cheese tastes bad too

Question 10

Placebo effect

Answer 10

• same wine is liked more when it’s more expensive

- people who respond = activity in mOFC increase with wine price = reward seeking participants

Question 11

Keys to good consumer testing?

Answer 11

1) set right objective
2) ask the right people
3) ask the right questions (use comparative ?)

Question 12

Central location test (CLT): advantages, disadvantages?

Answer 12

1) advantage: more control

2) disadvantage: not like real life

Question 13

Home use test (HUT): advantages, disadvantages?

Answer 13

1) advantage: more like real life

2) disadvantage: more expensive, time consuming, less control

Question 14

What are the approaches to choose a test?

Answer 14

1) preference/choice (pair comparison tests)
- adv: easy to organize/implement, simple for participants
- disadv: # of samples tested increase w # products, no magnitude of preference
2) preference ranking
- adv: easy to organize/implement, simple for participants
- disadv: difficult to use 7+ samples, no magnitude of preference
3) rated acceptability (category or line scales)
- category scales: verbal anchors (most popular)
- numerical scales: numerical anchors
- line scales: verbal anchors to left/right of line
4) just-about -right (JAR) scale

Question 15

Adaptation

Answer 15

perceived flavor intensity decreases with the # of sips

• for sweet, acid/sour, salt
• help: drinking water or eating break

Question 16

Potentiation

Answer 16

As time increases, the intensity increases

- bitterness and astringency

Question 17

types of processing system for flavors

Answer 17

Gustatory, Olfactory, Trigeminal

Question 18

Olfactory

Answer 18

olfactory neurons have cilia which contains proteins called olfactory receptors where the odor molecules bind.

Question 19

True/False:

There’s no direct link btwn # of papillae vs # taste buds/receptors.

Answer 19

True

Question 20

True/False:

Wine presentation order affects adaption and potentiation.

Answer 20

True

Question 21

What is glomerulus?

Answer 21

area where neurons’ axons expressing the same receptor converge - in the olfactory bulb.