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Updated: Jun 22, 2026
07:10
Taste Exam: A Brief and Validated Test
Published on: August 17, 2018
Expectations influence sensory experience in a wine tasting.
Michael Siegrist1, Marie-Eve Cousin2
1ETH Zurich, Institute for Environmental Decisions (IED), Consumer Behavior, Universitätsstrasse 22, CHN J76.3, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
Appetite
|June 9, 2009
Summary
Product information significantly influences taste perception. Negative pre-tasting information lowered wine ratings, while post-tasting information had no effect, suggesting information shapes the experience itself.
Area of Science:
- Consumer Psychology
- Sensory Science
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Consumer perception of products is influenced by external information.
- The timing of information exposure may alter its impact on sensory experiences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how pre-tasting versus post-tasting information affects wine taste experience and evaluation.
- To determine if information influences the sensory experience or post-experience judgment.
Main Methods:
- A wine tasting experiment was conducted with human participants.
- Participants received either positive or negative information about the wine.
- Information was presented either before or after the wine tasting, but before evaluation.
Main Results:
- Negative pre-tasting information led to significantly lower wine ratings compared to positive pre-tasting information.
- Presenting information after tasting, but before evaluation, did not affect ratings.
- The timing of information exposure critically modulated its effect on taste perception.
Conclusions:
- Information presented before a sensory experience can shape the experience itself.
- The impact of product information on taste perception is dependent on its temporal proximity to the experience.
- Findings highlight the importance of information timing in managing consumer sensory experiences.
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