Virtual Reality and Immersive Environments on Sensory Perception of Chocolate Products: A Preliminary Study.

Lu Li,Mishika Thakur,Roland Harrison,Yanzhuo Kong,Dayao Xu,Chetan Sharma,Damir D Torrico,Madhuri Kanala

doi:10.3390/foods9040515

Abstract

Traditional booths where sensory evaluation usually takes place are highly controlled and therefore have limited ecological validity. Since virtual reality (VR) is substantially interactive and engaging, it has the potential to be applied in sensory science. In this preliminary study, three chocolate types (milk, white, and dark) were evaluated under three contextual settings, including sensory booths (control) and two VR environments (360-degree videos using VR headsets: (i) a pleasant sightseeing tour, and (ii) a live music concert). Untrained participants (n = 67) were asked to rate their liking and the intensity of different chocolate attributes based on the 9-point hedonic scale and just-about-right-scale (JAR). Emotions were evaluated using the check-all-that-apply (CATA) method. Results showed that there were no significant effects of context type on the tasting experience; however, there were significant effects of chocolate type. Milk and white chocolates were preferred over dark chocolate irrespective of the context type. Additionally, more positive emotions were elicited for the dark chocolate in the “virtual live concert” environment. Dark chocolate under the other two environments was associated with negative emotional terms, such as “bored” and “worried.” In terms of more reliable and ecologically valid sensory responses, further research is needed to match suitable VR environments to different chocolate types.

Highlights

Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging technology that provides artificially simulated environments based on computer technology and relevant software [1]
The effect of an attribute on overall liking of the product is considered significant when the proportion of participants’ responses to “not JAR” is greater than the commonly used threshold of 20% [36,37]. Both PVR and NVR led to the higher selection of “too little,” and lower selections of JAR, and “too much” of the cocoa flavor for the milk chocolate (Figure 3). This might be because both PVR and NVR provided a better engagement than the sensory booth did, in which participants might focus more on the virtual experience than the chocolate itself
The finding of this research might indicate that sensory evaluation conducted under immersive VR environments could have better engagement and ecological validity than traditional sensory booths

Summary

Introduction

Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging technology that provides artificially simulated environments based on computer technology and relevant software [1] These artificial environments can be either recorded videos, pictures, or animated scenes, which are either immersive [2] or non-immersive [3], and either similar or completely different from the real world [4]. VR can enrich people’s entertainment life on the basis of immersive sensory experience regarding games, movies, travelling, and even shopping [6]. It has been commonly applied in training and education areas, such as supporting the teaching and learning process [7].

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