Taxonomic free sorting (TFS) is a fast, reliable and new technique in sensory science. The method extends the typical free sorting task where stimuli are grouped according to similarities, by asking respondents to combine their groups two at a time to produce a hierarchy. Previously, TFS has been used for the visual assessment of packaging whereas this study extends the range of potential uses of the technique to incorporate full sensory analysis by the target consumer, which, when combined with hedonic liking scores, was used to generate a novel preference map. Furthermore, to fully evaluate the efficacy of using the sorting method, the technique was evaluated with a healthy older adult consumer group. Participants sorted eight products into groups and described their reason at each stage as they combined those groups, producing a consumer-specific vocabulary. This vocabulary was combined with hedonic data from a separate group of older adults, to give the external preference map. Taxonomic sorting is a simple, fast and effective method for use with older adults, and its combination with liking data can yield a preference map constructed entirely from target consumer data.

To help further our understanding of how keymethodological issues in conjoint analysis influence outcomes, a choice‐based conjoint study measuring consumer preferences for pre‐packed apple selection packs was conducted. The role of stimuli presentation format was considered by comparing the performance of physical prototype stimuli and realistic pictorial representations. This indicated no substantial differences in the choice decisions made using the two presentation formats and suggested that photographic images may be used instead of prototype stimuli. A second issue pertained to the need for training and warm‐up exercises prior to the actual conjoint choice task. While this indicated some differences in choice strategies, a significant improvement in internal validity of choice decisions made with and without training was not achieved. One possible explanation for this finding may be that respondents made choices between apple products, a product category for which decision strategies are likely to be stable and well‐developed.

The effect of advertising content and format on consumer expectations for a new apple variety was examined. In particular, the impact of presentation format (whether advertisements contained a picture of the new apple variety or not) and textual advertising claims, which communicated means-end information of differential cognitive strength and structure, was considered. While expectations raised by advertising featuring pictorial information differed from those raised by textual only information, differential means-end chain information did not influence product expectancy. Consumers reacted negatively to a photo of the apple, which was predominantly red in appearance. The pictorial information influenced consumers varying in need for cognition (NFC) differently. As predicted, a picture of the advertised apple variety influenced individuals high in NFC to a greater extent than those low in NFC. A critical examination of the experimental execution suggested a need to align procedures with those used in expectations research in marketing.

It is suggested to tackle unsolved methodological problems in preference mapping by taking account of the behavioural processes underlying preference formation. To this end an information processing model of preference formation is proposed. Within this model we particularly consider the process of synthesis, which is the way sensory information about product similarities and differences is analysed and processed. Although current applications of external preference mapping assume that consumers and trained judges synthesise sensory stimuli similarly, accumulating evidence in the literature suggests that this is not so. We, therefore, propose that analysing preference data in terms of a product space that accurately reflects how consumers see products will improve preference mapping methodology. Differences in synthesis are accounted for by applying sets of synthesis weights reflecting differences in the relative weighting given to each sensory attribute. An empirical analysis of sensory and preference data pertaining to eating apples supports the hypothesis that consumers use only a few key sensory attributes rather than synthesise a large number of attributes during preference formation.

To gain further insight into consumer purchase motivation for fruits and vegetables, a hierarchical value map pertaining to dessert apples was derived. This suggested that purchase motivation was driven primarily by health considerations. Information from the hierarchical value map was used to develop three print advertising strategies for a new (hypothetical) apple variety in accord with the MECCAS framework (Means-End Conceptualization of the Components of Advertising Strategy). The way consumers perceived the information communicated in the different strategies was explored using in-depth interviews. Consumers' attitudinal responses to the three strategies were also monitored. The outcome of these explorations suggested that advertising communicating means-end chain information of differential content and structure resulted in different brand attitudes.

A hierarchy of three models for analysing sensory profiling data was discussed in a previous paper. The algorithm which determines the parameters of the third model has been improved and a the new version of the algorithm is presented. It is illustrated using the potatoes data proposed by the organisers of the workshop.

Feedback in sensory training can facilitate performance in several ways. It can provide information about the type, the extent and the direction of errors so that they may be corrected. This paper shows the effects of immediate feedback over a three session training. Triangle test, familiar odor recognition and scaling test were used in training. The scaling test, specially designed for this study, was performed with solutions of mixtures of basic tastes in different proportions.Prior sensory ability was taken into account by dividing 54 people into two groups according to their sensory ability. Each group was then split into an experimental group receiving feedback and into a control group.The results showed that feedback has different effects depending on test: a positive effect for recognition test, no effect for triangle test and a probable negative effect for scaling.

A new procedure for the determination of the isotropic scaling factors in Generalised Procrustes Analysis is discussed. A noteworthy feature of this procedure is that each isotropic scaling factor is shown to be the product of a standardisation scalar which adjusts for the differences in range of scoring among assessors, and a performance index. An overall performance index for the whole panel is also discussed. The performance indices can be useful in improving the performance of the panel by pointing out whether further training is required for the whole panel or for some specific assessors. Once the isotropic scaling factors are determined, it is possible to derive a group average configuration using one of several algorithms proposed in the statistical literature which aim at matching a set of configurations by means of rotations. A data set is analysed and a simulation study is undertaken in order to demonstrate the method, and the outcomes are compared to those obtained by means of Gower's algorithm for Generalised Procrustes Analysis.

Sensory preference for three apple varieties varying in degree of mealiness was investigated among British and Danish consumers. The experimental design was reflected in the sensory profiles, where differences in flavour were mainly related to varieties and differences in texture mainly to mealiness condition. Internal preference mapping showed that preference was more strongly related to variety than mealiness condition. Overall, Boskoop apples were less preferred than Cox and Jonagold. Mealiness was considered a negative quality attribute associated with fluffy appearance, stale flavour and floury and granular texture. The preference patterns for British and Danish consumers were similar and reflected no cross-cultural differences. Differences between individuals varying in Private Body Consciousness (PBC) were not reflected in the preference patterns. Internal preference maps obtained from high and low PBC individuals were largely similar. However, high PBC individuals appeared to rely more strongly on the sensory characteristics of apples than low PBC individuals when forming preference ratings.

The ASC guidelines published in 1980 (ASC Committee on Environmental Improvement, 'Guidelines for data acquisition and data quality evaluation in environmental chemistry', Anal. Chem. 52, 2242-2249 (1980)) define the limit of quantification between a signal and its notional zero (baseline), i.e. the value of the signal without an analyte, as ten times the standard deviation of the signal's noise. If the value of the blank signal is estimated, the limit of quantification is dependent upon the variability of the estimated baseline rather than a simple multiple of the noise. It is shown that the limit of peak quantification (via numerical integration) of a Gaussian peak on an arbitrary background is strongly dependent upon the baseline estimator. In particular a peak should have a signal-to-noise ratio of approximately 60:1 using a linear baseline estimator and 10:1 for a cubic baseline estimator. Further, the expected standard deviation of peak parameters obtained via curve fitting is inflated by a factor of seven for a linear baseline estimator and two for a cubic baseline estimator. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

ABSTRACTIn the running of consumer studies aimed at obtaining information about products and services, it has become increasingly popular to include some sensory type questions about the characteristics of the test product as well as the standard question about overall preference. The implications of this for the resultant data are complex, and as Sudman and Schwarz (1989) point out question order effects have been implicated as one of the major causes of unreplicated or unexpected findings in survey research. This study aims to establish the effect of question order on overall preference scores and sensory scores in consumer studies. Results indicate that there is a significant effect of asking sensory questions on overall preference ratings and the position of the preference questions (relative to the sensory questions) also has implications for overall ratings of preference.

Marketing as a discipline in general, and industrial marketing in particular, has drawn upon a number of different theoretical perspectives from domains as diverse as organisational theory, systems analysis, economics, psychology, sociology and anthropology to further our understanding. However, to build this understanding and increase the relevance of marketing research, we need to be aware of the ontological assumptions and stances that such theoretical perspectives use. The purpose of this special issue is therefore to offer a platform for the exploration, comparison, application, and consideration of ontological choice and its implications in industrial marketing research. To achieve this we review early industrial marketing scholarship in this first section. In the second section, we identify the larger ebbs and flows that mark the development and advancement of industrial marketing research. In the final section, we provide an overview of the papers in this special issue in the form of a thematic exploration of theoretical developments in industrial marketing management research.