ABSTRACT
Good sensory measurements require that we look at the tasters as measuring instruments, somewhat variable over time and among themselves, and very prone to bias. In order to minimize variability and bias, the experimenter must understand the basic physiological and psychological factors which may influence sensory perception. Gregson (1963)notes that perception of the real world is not a passive process, but an active and selective one. An observer records only those elements of a complex situation that he can readily see and associate as meaningful. The rest he eliminates even if it is staring him in the face. We must put the observer in a frame of mind to understand the characteristics we want him to measure. This is done through training (see Chapter 9), and by avoiding a number of pitfalls (Amerine et al., 1965; Poste et al., 1991; Lawless and Heymann, 1998)inherent in the presentation of samples, the text of the questionnaire, and the handling of the participants.
