Concurrent elicitation of hedonic and CATA/RATA responses with Chinese and Korean consumers: Hedonic bias is unlikely to occur

Abstract

In line with research in non-Western countries becoming main-stream, the need to validate existing research methods with consumers from these populations increase. The present research contributes hereto by quasi-replicating with Korean and Chinese consumers previous research concerning the risk of hedonic product responses being biased by co-elicitation of CATA/RATA questions for sensory product characterisation. Using consumers in several Western countries it was previously reported that bias could occur, but was unlikely to. Eleven studies involving ∼1000 East Asian consumers confirmed this conclusion. The studies were conducted with diversified populations and across multiple product categories. Across 7 studies, there were no instances where CATA co-elicitation was found to bias hedonic scores. However, in one of four studies where RATA responses were co-elicited bias did occur, and hedonic scores were, on average, lower when RATA responses were co-elicited. It is recommended that the research be replicated with consumers residing in their home countries and extended to other East and South-East Asian counties. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd