Abstract
: The problem of sensory measurement has been tackled using a wide range of methods, from sophisticated systems of scaling to simple ranking. This paper focuses on the problems arising from the fact that the units of sensory scales are frequently arbitrary. It looks at alternative methods of scale design and statistical analysis as a response to the problem and, in particular, introduces a novel combination of scale design and statistical analysis, which may be collectively described as a self‐adjusting scale method. The self‐adjusting scale method has particular appeal when there is little opportunity for the training of panelists in the use of a particular sensory scale and, though it was originally developed and evaluated in the context of laboratory assessment, may actually have its greatest application in the realm of consumer testing.

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