[The psychophysics of sweet taste. 5. The use of a sequential staircase method for the determination of equally intense concentration pairs].
The suitability of a sequential staircase-method for the determination of equal stimuli of the gustatory sense is experimentally investigated. The aim is the decrease of experimental expenditure when ruling sources of bias. In order to realize them sucrose solutions are used both for the constant stimulus and also for the sequence of stimuli. Possible factors are the gradation of the sequence of stimuli and its displacement towards the constant stimulus. These are factorized in a two-staged trial arrangement and are interpreted in a form of an analysis of variance. The gradation of sequence (grain) is the key factor. It defines both the occasional bias and also the efficiency of systematical sources of bias. Thus the subject-depending judgement errors, which occur in larger gradation, are avoidable with their adjustment on the half of the difference threshold. The errors, which are due to the direction, are counterbalanced through an up and down trial execution with a following meaning average. A remaining influence of the displacement of sequence is normally neglective. The standard deviation for the single determination lies--independently of the concentration level--dimensionally slightly above the half of the setting grain. The method of constant stimuli requires at least the twofold experimental expenditure for a similar result.
Deutsches Institut für Ernährungsforschung Potsdam-Rehbrücke.
K
K
Hoppe
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011601:Psychophysics; D013549:Sweetening Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013649:Taste
D013549:Sweetening Agents
Beiträge zur Psychophysik des Süssgeschmacks 5. Mitt. Untersuchungen zum Einsatz sequentieller Staircasemethoden bei der Bestimmung intensitätsgleicher Konzentrationspaare.