An application of the repertory grid method to investigate consumer perceptions of foods

This paper describes the development of a method for investigating consumer perceptions of foods. Each of 46 subjects independently used a version of Kelly's repertory grid method to elucidate the attributes (constructs) perceived in 25 meat products. Subjects then scaled the individual products with respect to each of their own constructs. Data were input to generalized Procrustes analysis to obtain a perceptual map of the products for each subject and a consensus product map. The principal components of the consensus map, and hence the important perceptual attributes, were interpreted by identifying the constructs which were most heavily weighted by individual subjects.