Analyzing Sensory Data with R

Quantitative Descriptive Approaches
When panelists rate products according to one single list of attributes
Data, sensory issues, notations
In practice
For experienced users: Measuring the impact of the experimental design on the perception of the products?

When products are rated according to one single list of attributes
Data, sensory issues, notations
In practice
For experienced users: Adding supplementary information to the product space

When products are rated according to several lists of attributes
Data, sensory issues, notations
In practice
For experienced users: Comparing different panels with Hierarchical Multiple Factor Analysis (HMFA)

Qualitative Descriptive Approaches
When products are depicted by comments
Data, sensory issues, notations
In practice
For experienced users: Comparing free comments from different panels, the Rorschach test revisited

When two different products are put in various experimental contexts
Data, sensory issues, notations
In practice
For experienced users: the Thurstonian approach

When products are grouped into homogeneous clusters
Data, sensory issues, notations
In practice
For experienced users: the Hierarchical Sorting Task

When products are positioned onto a projective map
Data, sensory issues, notations
In practice
For experienced users: The Sorted Napping®

Affective Descriptive Approaches
When products are solely assessed by liking
Data, sensory issues, notations
In practice
For experienced users: Dealing with multiple hedonic variables and supplementary consumer data

When products are described by both liking and external information "independently"
Data, sensory issues, notations
In practice
For experienced users: Finding the best correspondence between the Sensory and Hedonic matrices, using PrefMFA

When products are described by a mix of liking and external information
Data, sensory issues, notations
In practice
For experienced users: Assessing the consistency of ideal data in IPM

Exercises and Recommended Readings appear at the end of each chapter.

Biography

Sebastien Le, Thierry Worch

"…a comprehensive and practical book written for sensory scientists. The book introduces techniques for the analysis of sensory data with a strong emphasis on multivariate analysis. Throughout the book, real data from a variety of sensory experiments are used to illustrate how to analyze sensory data appropriately using R. … The examples used in the book emphasize a good understanding of the objective of the experiment, the nature of the data collected and its statistical notation, how to implement the appropriate method of analysis using R, and how to read the output and carefully interpret the results. … Sensometrics is a dynamic and fast-moving field, yet books on how to analyze complicated sensory data are rare. This practical book is a valuable resource for scientists learning how to analyze sensory data appropriately. It can be used as a course textbook to teach new sensory scientists the full suite of existing statistical techniques, or as a reference handbook for the experienced sensory scientist seeking information on how to analyze a specific type of sensory data. … well-organized, easy to read, and provides practical instruction in statistical techniques for analyzing sensory data using R."
—Gui-Shuang Ying, University of Pennsylvania, in Journal of the American Statistical Association, January 2017

"Lê and Worch present students, academics, researchers, and statisticians with a quantitative, qualitative, and effective approach to sensory evaluation. The authors have organized the bulk of their text in three sections, devoted to quantitative descriptive approaches, qualitative descriptive approaches, and affective approaches, in turn. Individual chapters within these sections cover a variety of subjects, such as product rating according to a single list of attributes, product rating when depicted by comments, and product rating when solely assessed by liking."
—Ringgold, Inc. Book News, February 2015