Sensory bias

The second area of progressive development will be in the area of very specialized data collection mediums. We foresee a major extension in the area of direct data input using interactive video terminals built within the sensory evaluation booths. Although this will take a fairly extensive development in the area of software, the gains to be reaped by the development will far exceed the development costs itself. A large area of research has yet to be conducted concerning the application of microcomputers in sensory analysis as a data collection tool. Studies of inherent bias, effects on response freedom etc. will have to be undertaken in order to properly evaluate the computer as a data acquisition tool. Biases based on the way the software... 

Both in operation and in terms of study, this route is complicated by our predominant cultural bias of not really paying much attention to our bodies. Our bodies are too seldom thought of as sources of information. Researchers in humanistic and transpersonal psychology are just beginning to find out that the body has a wisdom of its own—a brain of its own, as it were—that can provide us with information about ourselves and external reality and process that information. Carlos Castaneda, for example, has told me that in Don Juan s system, a sorcerer considers his body a major source of information about the world around him the sensations in his body will tell him a great deal about events that otherwise would not be perceived through ordinary sensory channels. 

With there being color biases/preferences in both orange and grapefruit juices, care must be exercised in sensory evaluation work to insure against these color biases. An effective means of neutralizing any color bias in citrus sensory evaluation work has been found to be the utilization of red lights in the booths used in making the evaluation. 

Randomization is done to minimize the effects of uncontrolled sources of variation or error and to eliminate bias. It involves ordering sample treatments in such a way that each treatment has an equal chance of being selected. In sensory testing, the order of sample presentation to each panelist is randomized. 

When data can be assumed to be approximately multilinear there is little if any benefit in matricizing the data before analysis. Even though the two-way models describe more variation per definition, the increased modeling power does not necessarily provide more predictive models in terms of modeling either the independent or the dependent variables. Even when the data do not approximately follow a multilinear model (e.g. sensory data), the multilinear models can be preferred if the possible bias in having too simple an X-model is counteracted by the smaller amount of overfit. 

The vibration sensation test is purported to be a quantitative measure of perception of a vibrating stimulus. It is used to see if a person can volitionally tell the examiner when a stimulus is first perceived. It is intended to reveal impairment in the ability of a peripheral nerve to conduct an impulse. If the subject has a high threshold for this test, it is suggested by the amount of time the subject requires for acknowledging his/her perception of the stimulus. This testis subject to embellishment by the examinee and to observer bias by the test administrator. Such impairments detected on screening tests such as this must be correlated with other more objective tests for evidence of peripheral neuropathy such as nerve conduction velocities, tendon reflex responses, and patterns of sensory loss detected by pin prick perception. 

It is our general prejudice that the proportion of chemical sensing within the total sensory capabilities is greater in aquatic and semi-aquatic animals than in more terrestrial forms where vision in particular dominates. Thus it was somewhat of a surprise to us when we were unable to locate many recent publications on orientation and homing in the more aquatic amphibians. While our finding of an apparent lack of research on amphibians may be partially due to our own admitted historical bias towards the reptilian literature, we also believe that there indeed has been relatively less work on amphibians. It appears that since the important pioneering studies of Twitty (summarized in Twitty, 1966), very few scientists have had an interest in this area. 

CATA questions can be used concurrently with hedonic scores with the aim of understanding consumer preferences and identil g recommendations for product reformulation (Stone and Sidel, 2004). However, including questions about specific sensory characteristics can be a source of bias on hedonic scores (Popper et al 2004 Prescott ct a/., 2011). 

Flavourists are invited to attend the language generation step of QFPs and observe how sensory expert panellists build the Sense It descriptor list. They are strongly advised to smell or taste every Sense It reference that is discussed within the session. They may communicate questions to the sensory panel leader in charge of the sensory test, who will then check the answers with the sensory expert panellists. Indeed, they do not actively participate in the discussion, in order to prevent any bias of the sensory expert panellists perception. 

To avoid bias, products are usually evaluated anonymously in most sensory studies. However, in the automotive industry, it may be difficult or even impossible to make products anonymous. In effect, subjects can easily recognize cars, even without brand identification. This is quite a problem, because subjects might not disregard the brand or anything else that could influence their evaluations. 

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