Differences in citation proportions in CATA questions can be interpreted as differences perceived intensity of sensory attributes

Abstract

AbstractCATA (check‐all‐that‐apply) questions enjoy high popularity for sensory product characterization with consumers. Amidst extensive methodological characterization, the meaning of term citation frequency has received modest attention only, possibly hindering further uptake. The present research performed a more detailed exploration of the relationship between CATA responses and perceived intensity of sensory attributes. In addition, the following question was addressed: How many consumers are necessary to interpret differences in CATA citation proportions as a proxy of differences in perceived intensity? The present research includes new empirical data from four consumer studies conducted in New Zealand and China under central location test conditions and a re‐analysis of one consumer study. When dealing with samples with clear differences, the percentage of consumers selecting a sensory term for describing samples tended to be linearly correlated to average intensity ratings. A median of 15 consumers was needed for CATA to show good linear correlations with average intensity ratings, and the minimum number of consumers needed to reach the threshold for a good correlation was generally lower than 30.Practical ApplicationsResults add to existing guidelines and say that for sets of sample sets with at least moderate differences in a specific attribute, a minimum of 50 consumers is necessary to obtain reliable sensory characterizations using CATA questions and interpret differences in citation proportions as a proxy for differences in the perceived intensity of that attribute. However, practitioners should be aware of the limitations of CATA questions for measuring attribute intensity, such as studies involving complex terms or samples with subtle intensity differences.