Relative singularity/mixedness judgements for selected taste stimuli

Quinine hydrochloride, fructose, citric acid, NaCl, monosodium glutamate, KCl, and mixtures of two, three and four solutes were rated and ranked along a continuum from "single" to "mixed" tasting. Quinine was judged most singular, with fructose and citric acid forming a second most singular group. Other stimuli were intermediate while the mixtures were judged most mixed, the mixedness increasing with mixture complexity. When NaCl and fructose were judged with their binary mixtures in the same manner, the degree of mixedness of the mixtures varied with the proportions of the components.