Applied Sensory and Consumer Science Certificate Program

Taught by Rebecca Bleibaum, M.A.

Scope and objectives: Physiological and psychological bases for sensory evaluation and consumer testing.

Lesson 1

Introduction to Sensory Science

• Introduction to Sensory Science Definition, history, the senses, methods, and differences from other research methods.
• Basic Sensory Research (medical, categories, nutrition, communication between processors).
• Roles of Sensory Science in marketing, product development, quality assurance, etc.

Lesson 2

The Senses: Taste–Gustation

• Gustation (Taste)–primary tastes, anatomy, physiology, and chemistry of taste. Transducer and neural effects including receptor types, stimulus- receptor transducer mechanisms, neural channels, neural codes, and cortical cell types and mechanisms; taste modifiers; adaptation of taste.

Lesson 3

The Senses: Olfaction and Tactile

• Olfaction (Smell)–anatomy, physiology and chemistry of smell, transduction, adaptation, classification systems, illusions.
• Tactile (Touch)–tactile sensations, temperature, mouthfeel, pungency, heat, trigeminal pain.

Lesson 4

The Senses: Vision and Audition

• Vision (Seeing)–eyes: design and anatomy; visual organization including rods, cones, detection, contrast effects, depth, color perception, after effects, adjustments to distorted vision.
• Audition (Hearing)–mechanisms, anatomy, adaptation, delayed feedback, sound location.

Lesson 5

The Senses and the Brain

• Tricks the senses may play, senses and the brain, information overload, attention and adaptation, context, illusions.
• The Mind–how information is processed, analytical and affective components of sensation.
• Humans as Sensory Instruments–physiological and psychological biases–what can we do?
• Theory of Sensory Measurement–response bias, psychophysics.

Lesson 6

Scaling

• Level of Measurements
• Purposes of scaling, methods of scaling
• Ranking
• What is happening cognitively when we do scaling?
• What is hedonic scaling?
• Acceptance testing

Lesson 7

Discrimination Theory and Testing Methods

• Why some people do better (central vs. peripheral processing)
• Thurstonian Modeling
• Memory Effects
• Creating more sensitive tests
• Guessing Models for Discrimination Theory

Lesson 8

Signal Detection and the R-Index

• Signal Detection Theory
• John Brown's R-index

Lesson 9

Labs and Procedures

• The Sensory Evaluation Laboratory–environment, test protocol, instructions to panel, palate cleansing, swallowing and expectoration, randomization and labeling, etc.
• Virtual Tour of evaluation booths.
• Testing Procedures–strategy, staffing, experimental design options, use of human subjects, selection and training, screening tests, performance assessment.

Lesson 10

Course Summary

• A summary of lessons 1 through 9.

Prerequisite: Foundations of Sensory Science

Taught by Jean Xavier Guinard, Ph.D.

Scope and objectives: Common basic methods, theories, and approaches used in the execution of sensory evaluation and consumer testing research.

Lesson 1
Introduction

• Review of Course 1 materials
• Sensory Evaluation Methods (classification and purposes)

Lesson 2
Statistics

• Univariate Statistics
• Measures of central tendency and dispersion; binomial and nominal distributions; Student's t-test; Chi-square; correlation and regression; analysis of variance; multiple mean comparisons

Lesson 3
Thresholds

• Theory and measurement of thresholds
• Types of thresholds
• Applications
• Methods for measuring thresholds

Lesson 4
Difference Tests

• Types of difference tests
• Applications of difference testing
• Difference vs. similarity testing
• Difference tests

Lesson 5
Scaling

• Types of scales
• Applications of scaling
• Uses and abuses of scales
• Psychological biases in scaling

Lesson 6
Statistics

• Multivariate Statistics
• Basic principles, types of methods and applications
• Regression methods (RSM, PLS), factor analysis methods (PCA, GPA) and classification methods (Cluster analysis)

Lesson 7
Descriptive Analysis

• Descriptive Analysis
• Purposes, applications, principles
• Panel selection and screening
• Term generation and scorecard development
• Panel training
• Judge performance (criteria and assessment)

Lesson 8
Descriptive Analysis Methods

• Descriptive Analysis Methods
• The Flavor Profile Method, The Texture Profile Method, Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA), Spectrum Method, Free-Choice Profiling, etc.

Lesson 9
Time-Intensity

• Time-Intensity Measurements: purposes and principles
• Training for Time-Intensity Profiling
• Analysis of time-intensity curves

Lesson 10
Instrumental Measures

• Instrumental Measurements of Sensory Properties
• Color
• Texture
• Flavor (taste and aroma)
• Relation with sensory measurements

Prerequisites: Foundations of Sensory Science and Sensory Evaluation Methods

Taught by Jean Xavier Guinard, Ph.D.

Scope and objectives: Management of sensory evaluation and consumer testing resources, activities, and their interaction with other business units; exploratory research techniques.

Lesson 1

• Introduction
• History
• Terminology
• Consumer testing vs. market research
• Types of consumer tests
• Settings for consumer tests
• Applications of consumer tests

Lesson 2

Sampling, recruitment, and screening

• Sampling and demographics
• Sample size and power issues
• Source of test subjects: employees vs. local residents vs. population at large
• Databases and subject pools
• Recruitment methods
• Screening

Lesson 3

Quantitative tools

• Preference testing
• Measurement of liking
• Just-right scales
• Other acceptance rating scales
• Other scales or tools used in quantitative market research
• Questionnaire design
• Special issues
• Product optimization applications of hedonic ratings by consumers

Lesson 4

Segmentation

• Demographics, psychographics, attitudes, usage and genetics
• Understanding consumer language–the Repertory Grid Method
• Segmenting consumers based on preferences for product or service features–Conjoint Analysis
• Segmenting consumers based on sensory liking–Internal Preference Mapping and Preference Clustering

Lesson 5

Context

• Definitions of "context" and context variables
• History of context research
• Documented effects of context variables on consumer behavior and responses
• Use of Robust Design Methodology to study context effects
• Implications of context research on consumer testing methodology

Lesson 6

Laboratory, central location, home-use and other field tests

• Surveys
• Online market research–Testing through the Internet
• Internal laboratory tests (with employees or local residents)
• Central Location Tests
• Home Use Tests
• Other field tests (e.g., mobile laboratory, simulated-supermarket setting, etc.)
• Testing with special populations
• Contracting a consumer test to a market research agency

Lesson 7

Qualitative methods

• What is "qualitative"?
• Idea generation methods
• Focus groups
• In-depth individual interviews
• Projective techniques
• Ethnography
• Using the Internet for qualitative research

Lesson 8

Relating consumer and sensory data

• The regression method
• Response surface methodology
• Principal component analysis of sensory attributes and hedonic ratings
• Internal preference mapping with projection of sensory data
• External preference mapping
• Drivers of liking

Lesson 9

Market research methods

• Consumer trends research
• Usage and attitudes studies
• Means-End Chain Analysis
• Conjoint analysis
• Simulated Test Markets
• Advertising research

Lesson 10

Consumer-driven innovation

• Chronemics Method
• The Gemba Method
• The Quali-Quanti Method
• Customer-Defined Quality
• Empathic design

Prerequisites: Foundations of Sensory Science, Sensory Evaluation Methods and Consumer Testing Methods

Taught by Rebecca Bleibaum, M.A.

Scope and objectives: Current business applications of the foundations, principles, and methods taught in the first three courses, for sensory evaluation and consumer testing.

Lesson 1

Product Development Principles

• Stages of Product Evaluation and Product Life Cycle
• Brand Control, Competence Structure, and Sensory/Consumer Testing Activities
• Basic Assumptions of Product Development
• Steps in Product Development
• Aspects of Marketing Specificity
• Aspects of Product Specificity
• Product Development Activities Related to Specificity

Lesson 2

Quality Control and Stability Testing

• Overview and Background
• What is Quality?
• Implementation of a Sensory Specification
• Special Issues with Sensory Specification
• Measuring Product Stability–Shelf Life
• Final Thoughts

Lesson 3

Product Improvement

• Why Do We Improve Products?
• Where Do Line Extensions Fit into Product Improvement?
• Discrimination Methods in Product Improvement
• Descriptive Methods in Product Improvement
• Affective Methods in Product Improvement
• Qualitative Methods in Product Improvement
• Product Development Case History

Lesson 4

New Product Development

• How Do Companies Get New Product Ideas?
• The Hierarchy of New Products
• Front End of Innovation
• Concept Generation
• Concept Identification
• Consumer Driven Innovation
• Product Development and Evaluation
• Product Development and Validation

Lesson 5

Product Optimization

• The "Optimum Product" Fallacy
• Qualitative Evaluation in Product Optimization
• Number and Selection of Products for Optimization
• Descriptive Evaluation in Product Optimization
• Analytical Evaluations in Product Optimization
• Measuring Consumer Acceptance in Optimization Research
• Selecting Variables to Predict Product Liking in Optimization
• Reducing Redundancy in Descriptive and Analytical Variables
• Statistical Analysis in Optimization
• Segmentation in Optimization
• Non Sensory and Acceptance Aspects of Optimization
• Does Optimization Work?
• Validation
• Conclusions

Lesson 6

Post Marketing Audits

• Overview
• Product Maintenance Strategies
• Retail Audits
• Product Procurement for Marketing Audits
• Sensory Science and Consumer Testing Methods Used in Audits
• Marketing Audit Example
• Market Audit Business Effects
• Case History–Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lesson 7

Extended Use Testing

• Why Would a Product Change in its Acceptance Over Time/Repeated Use?
• Which Products Should Undergo Extended Use Testing?
• How Much Sample for Extended Use Testing?
• Where Do Extended Use Tests Take Place?
• How Many Evaluations Qualify for Extended Use?
• What Types of Sensory/Consumer Evaluations Can be Used in Extended Use Testing?
• How Does Monotony Relate to Extended Use Testing?
• How Does Extended Use and Satiety Relate?
• Purchase of Extended Use Evaluations
• How Do Extended Use and Brand Loyalty Relate?
• Conclusions

Lesson 8

Advertising Claims

• Who Regulates Advertising Claims?
• Schrank's Categories of Advertising Claims
• Superiority Claims
• Developing an Advertising Claim
• Case Histories
• Planning and Advertising Claim
• Generic Deposition or Testifying as an Expert Witness
• Defending Against a Competitive or Regulatory Activity Directed At Your Company
• Conclusions

Lesson 9

Resources and Issues in Sensory Science and Consumer Testing

• Strategic Management of Your Resources
• Sensory Science Interaction with Market Research Department
• What Does Sensory Science and Consumer Testing have to Offer Market Research?
• Interaction of Sensory Science and Production
• Why Use Outside Resources or Vendors
• Choice of a Vendor
• Partial Vendor List for the United States, Canada, and Parts of Europe
• Partial List of Journals and Publications of Interest
• Ethics in Sensory Science and Consumer Testing

Lesson 10

The Future of Sensory Science and Consumer Testing

• Education of the Sensory Scientist
• Tools for Data Collection
• Digital Aroma Technology
• Sensory and Consumer Testing Methodology
• Taste Modifiers Research
• Cross Cultural Research
• Non-Food Applications
• Final Send-off for Students