Taste Test Exercise

Brand Preference Example

You will collect descriptive and experimental data about soft drink usage and preferences.
Specifically, you will conduct a taste-test for several soft drinks. We will use the results of the
taste-test many times during the remainder of the semester. There are two basic goals of this
exercise: (1) to gain an understanding of experimental design and (2) to provide data for future
examples in class.

1) You will test perceptions of the following soft drinks: Classic Coke, Dr. Pepper, Generic Cola
(or some store brand), and Seven-UP. Please purchase the listed soft drinks and do not
make substitutions.

2) Find 2 subjects to serve on a consumer taste-test panel. They must be familiar with and
willing to drink soft drinks, although they need not be interested in the above brands.

3) First, collect the descriptive information on the “Soft Drink Preference Questionnaire.” THEN
conduct the two taste tests for each subject. I have provided two copies of the
questionnaire and the “Taste-Test Results Form” – one for each subject.

3) You must conduct separate taste tests for each subject. That is, you may not conduct one
taste-test for the group of participants.

You will conduct the taste-test two different times for each subject. During the first run
through, you should use a blind procedure. That is, the subject should not be aware of
(i.e., they should be blind to) the brand name of the soft drink. To ensure that the color of
the soft drink does not affect the blind ratings you must blindfold the subject for the first
presentation. Refer to the first run through the taste-test as the blindfolded presentation.
After they sample the first soft drink:
1) ask the subject to give you their liking score and write their answer in the
Blindfolded Liking Column (see the Taste-test Result Form)
2) then ask them to guess the brand name of the soft-drink that they just consumed.
Write their answer in the Blindfolded Guess column. Repeat this procedure for all
four soft-drinks.

On the second run through the taste-test, you should allow the subject to see the brand of
each sample before they taste and rate it. NOTE: let the subject think that they are
sampling 8 different brands (rather than four brands two times). After they sample the soft
drink:
1) Ask the subject to give you their liking score and write it in the Not Blindfolded
Liking column.

Submit the completed Soft Drink Preference Questionnaire and the Taste-Test Results Form
for each subject.
 SOFT DRINK PREFERENCE QUESTIONAIRE
SUBJECT 1

1. Do you drink soft drinks? (Please put an ‘X’ in the appropriate box)
⃞1YES
⃞2 NO, if no, please return this questionnaire.

2. How many sodas do you drink per day?

_________ Sodas per day

3. Please indicate you preferences among the following types of sodas by

placing a “1” by your most preferred soda, a “2” by your second most
preferred soda, and a “3” by your least preferred soda….
______ REGULAR COLA
______ DIET COLA
______ LEMON-LIME SODAS
______ CHERRY COLA
______ FRUIT SODAS (ORANGE, GRAPE…)

4. Please check your favorite brand of soda. (Only put an ‘X’ in one box.)
⃞1COCA-COLA
⃞2PEPSI
⃞3SEVEN-UP
⃞4 SPRITE
⃞5DR. PEPPER
⃞6NONE OF THE ABOVE

5. In the past month, have you consumed a soda with your breakfast?
⃞ YES
1
⃞2 NO
6. Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with each of the
following statements:

Statement STRONGLY
STRONGLY DISAGREE
AGREE
1. I understand the features of sodas well enough to
evaluate the brands. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

2. I have a preference for one or more brands in the

soft drink class. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

3. Soft drinks are a product for which I have no need

whatsoever. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

4. I usually purchase the same brand within the soft

drink class. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

5. If I received information that was contrary to my

preferred soft drink, I would still keep my 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
preferred brand.

6. If my preferred brand of soft drink is not available

at the store, it makes little difference to me if I 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
must choose another brand.

7. My preferred brand of soft drink helps me attain 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

the type of life I strive for.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8. This soft drink helps me express the “I” and within
myself. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

9. I definitely have a “wanting” for soft drinks. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

10. Most of the brands of soft drink are all alike.

7. What is the price you normally pay for a 20oz soft drink bottle (vending
machine size) ? $ ____________ (please write-in the amount)

8. When I decide to purchase a soft drink at work or school, it is:

Not Readily Available ___:___:___:___:___:___:___:___:___ Readily

Available

Inexpensive ___:___:___:___:___:___:___:___:___ Expensive

Poor Selection ___:___:___:___:___:___:___:___:___ Good Selection

9. What is the highest level of education completed?

⃞1 LESS THAN HIGH SCHOOL

⃞2 COMPLETED HIGH SCHOOL
⃞3 SOME COLLEGE
⃞4 COMPLETED COLLEGE
⃞5 SOME GRADUATE WORK
⃞6 A GRADUATE DEGREE

10. Which of the following best describes your racial or ethnic background?

⃞1 WHITE/CAUCASIAN
⃞2 BLACK or AFRICAN AMERICAN
⃞3 ASIAN or ASIAN AMERICAN
⃞4 HISPANIC
⃞5 OTHER (please specify) ___________________________________

11. What is your sex?

⃞1 MALE
⃞2 FEMALE

12. What is your age?

⃞1 Less than 18
⃞2 18-24
⃞3 25-29
⃞4 30-34
⃞5 35-39
⃞6 >40
 TASTE TEST RESULTS FORM
SUBJECT 1

BLINDFOLDED BLINDFOLDED NOT

LIKING SCORE GUESS BLINDFOLDED
LIKING SCORE

COKE _______________ _______________ _______________

DR. PEPPER _______________ _______________ _______________

GENERIC _______________ _______________ _______________

(store brand)

SEVEN-UP _______________ _______________ _______________

LIKING SCORE:

I-----I-----I-----I-----I-----I-----I-----I-----I
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Disliked Liked
 SOFT DRINK PREFERENCE QUESTIONAIRE
SUBJECT 2

1. Do you drink soft drinks? (Please put an ‘X’ in the appropriate box)
⃞1YES
⃞2 NO, if no, please return this questionnaire.

2. How many sodas do you drink per day?

_________ Sodas per day

3. Please indicate you preferences among the following types of sodas by

placing a “1” by your most preferred soda, a “2” by your second most
preferred soda, and a “3” by your least preferred soda….
______ REGULAR COLA
______ DIET COLA
______ LEMON-LIME SODAS
______ CHERRY COLA
______ FRUIT SODAS (ORANGE, GRAPE…)

4. Please check your favorite brand of soda. (Only put an ‘X’ in one box.)
⃞1COCA-COLA
⃞2PEPSI
⃞3SEVEN-UP
⃞4 SPRITE
⃞5DR. PEPPER
⃞6NONE OF THE ABOVE

5. In the past month, have you consumed a soda with your breakfast?
⃞ YES
1
⃞2 NO
6. Please indicate your level of agreement or disagreement with each of the
following statements:

Statement STRONGLY
STRONGLY DISAGREE
AGREE
1. I understand the features of sodas well enough to
evaluate the brands. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

2. I have a preference for one or more brands in the

soft drink class. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

3. Soft drinks are a product for which I have no need

whatsoever. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

4. I usually purchase the same brand within the soft

drink class. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

5. If I received information that was contrary to my

preferred soft drink, I would still keep my 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
preferred brand.

6. If my preferred brand of soft drink is not available

at the store, it makes little difference to me if I 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
must choose another brand.

7. My preferred brand of soft drink helps me attain 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

the type of life I strive for.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8. This soft drink helps me express the “I” and within
myself. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

9. I definitely have a “wanting” for soft drinks. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

10. Most of the brands of soft drink are all alike.

7. What is the price you normally pay for a 20oz soft drink bottle (vending
machine size) ? $ ____________ (please write-in the amount)

8. When I decide to purchase a soft drink at work or school, it is:

Not Readily Available ___:___:___:___:___:___:___:___:___ Readily

Available

Inexpensive ___:___:___:___:___:___:___:___:___ Expensive

Poor Selection ___:___:___:___:___:___:___:___:___ Good Selection

9. What is the highest level of education completed?

⃞1 LESS THAN HIGH SCHOOL

⃞2 COMPLETED HIGH SCHOOL
⃞3 SOME COLLEGE
⃞4 COMPLETED COLLEGE
⃞5 SOME GRADUATE WORK
⃞6 A GRADUATE DEGREE

10. Which of the following best describes your racial or ethnic background?

⃞1 WHITE/CAUCASIAN
⃞2 BLACK or AFRICAN AMERICAN
⃞3 ASIAN or ASIAN AMERICAN
⃞4 HISPANIC
⃞5 OTHER (please specify) ___________________________________

11. What is your sex?

⃞1 MALE
⃞2 FEMALE

12. What is your age?

⃞1 Less than 18
⃞2 18-24
⃞3 25-29
⃞4 30-34
⃞5 35-39
⃞6 >40
 TASTE TEST RESULTS FORM
SUBJECT 2

BLINDFOLDED BLINDFOLDED NOT

LIKING SCORE GUESS BLINDFOLDED
LIKING SCORE

COKE _______________ _______________ _______________

DR. PEPPER _______________ _______________ _______________

GENERIC _______________ _______________ _______________

(store brand)

SEVEN-UP _______________ _______________ _______________

LIKING SCORE:

I-----I-----I-----I-----I-----I-----I-----I-----I
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Disliked Liked