Rapid product characterization and discrimination considering consumer satisfaction: A product test using three integrated perceptual dimensions as an alternative to a list of individual attributes

In the food/beverage industry, rapidly discerning product characteristics based on consumer perception and satisfaction is essential. This requires using key consumer perceptual dimensions, rather than numerous sensory attributes, to swiftly and precisely characterize products. In a previous study by Lee, Kim, and Lee (2023), a two-step rating-based ‘double-faced applicability’ (DFA) test and signal detection analyses of affective magnitude (d'_A) were applied to assess consumer perceptions of ready-to-drink (RTD) lattes. This research identified three consumer perceptual dimensions across eighteen sensory attributes, which were suggested to be directly linked to RTD latte quality and, consequently, to consumer sensory satisfaction/liking. The objective of the present study was to validate these three perceptual dimensions characterizing the perception of RTD lattes and their relationships with sensory satisfaction. To achieve this, a comparative experiment was conducted using the DFA test and d'_A analysis to evaluate consumer perceptions of the identical RTD lattes as in the previous study but with a different consumer group. In this experiment, only three consumer perception attributes reflecting the three dimensions were employed in the DFA tests to compare product characterization and discrimination results with the previous study using eighteen attribute pairs. Additionally, consumer satisfaction with the products was also studied. The results confirmed the distinctiveness of these three dimensions and their association with corresponding sensory attributes and overall satisfaction. The superior product discrimination further validates its effectiveness, highlighting the potential of such a three-dimensional perceptual model and d'_A analysis as a rapid and effective method for understanding product characteristics to meet consumer satisfaction.