Overview

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This course will introduce the sensory evaluation laboratory and will teach you best practices for testing and documentation. We'll explore how various factors, especially the testing environment, can influence sensory experiments. Our main focus will be on two specific sensory tests: duo-trio discrimination and 3-product consumer testing. Through case studies, we’ll examine how these tests can address product challenges. For both test types, we’ll dive into how to develop an appropriate hypothesis, select products, execute a sensory test, decode collected data, and interpret the test results. Additionally, you’ll learn how to identify and select core and opportunity target groups of consumers. Each module in this course builds towards your final project where you will design a sensory test to conduct your own research experiment.

Syllabus

Labs and Procedures

Welcome to the last course in the Foundations of Sensory Science series! In this course, we will introduce the sensory evaluation laboratory and teach you how to conduct two types of research experiments: a discrimination test and a 3-product consumer test. In this module, you will learn about errors in testing and ways to minimize those errors to ensure valid and reliable sensory data. You will review principles for recruiting qualified assessors for each test type and discuss ways to instruct assessors and the importance of documenting test instructions. This course will describe best practices testing procedures and ways that a sensory experiment can be influenced, especially the test environment. Let’s get started!

Discrimination Testing

In this module, we will begin by discussing discrimination testing methods and what problems they might solve for product issues. You will review various case studies that illustrate common business problems where discrimination testing was beneficial. You will review approaches to establishing a research objective using a balanced reference duo-trio test and the importance of product selection will be discussed. We will identify best practices qualification criteria for sensory analytical tests – discrimination testing and descriptive analysis. This module will teach you the principles of conducting your own research experiment based on discrimination testing principles. We will discuss how to develop an appropriate hypothesis, select products, prepare and conduct testing, decode the data, and interpret the results. In this module you’ll also start developing a sensory test using the tools you’ll gain throughout this course. Let’s begin!

Consumer Testing

In this module, we will continue our discussion by reviewing a different style of sensory testing: consumer product testing. You’ll review consumer product testing methods and how they apply to sensory science. We’ve previously formulated a hypothesis and research objectives. We will now discuss product selection for conducting a consumer test, and review how to identify and select a core and opportunity target group of consumers. We will review the importance of balanced serving orders and discuss how to prepare and conduct a 3-product consumer test. This module will teach you the principles of conducting your own research experiment based on consumer product testing principles. We will discuss how to develop an appropriate hypothesis, select products, prepare and conduct testing, decode the data, and interpret the results. For your final project, you will select and conduct either a duo-trio discrimination test or a 3-product consumer test. You will continue to design the various research components that will be used to build your final project. Both research experiments are designed as paper/pencil activities to aid in the learning process. Let’s get started!

Final Project

In this final module, everything you’ve worked on in the previous modules will come together to complete your project. You will apply the design of your sensory test to conduct a research experiment. You’ll use the testing method, and its principles, you selected in module 3 (either the duo-trio discrimination test or the 3-product consumer test) to conduct your test. You’ll develop the appropriate set of testing materials for the test you selected, as outlined in the program. You will also report on your own research experiment by preparing and reporting your data and key findings. For the final project, you’ll report your findings in the form of a discussion forum and through a graded self-assessment by demonstrating your comprehension of sensory science principles.