A COMPUTERIZED SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING AND MEASURING GUSTATORY REACTION TIMES

• Published in: Journal of sensory studies Vol. 15; no. 4; pp. 411 - 420
• Main Authors: GUIRAO, MIGUELINA, ZAMORA, MARIA CLARA
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-12-2000; Blackwell
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Computer systems; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Hardware; Methods of analysis, processing and quality control, regulation, standards; Organoleptic properties; Reaction time; Sensory analysis; Foodstuff; Taste; Computer system; Gustatory receptor
• ISSN: 0887-8250; 1745-459X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-459X.2000.tb00279.x

ABSTRACT
Reaction Time (RT) procedures are widely used in cognitive and behavioral experiments. In the sensory realm RT has been traditionally applied to measure visual, auditory or motor responses. The application of the RT method to gustatory stimuli has proved to be difficult. Attempts to develop automatic control techniques have been restrained by difficulties related to the control of variables, e.g. physiochemical characteristics of chemical solutions and the procedure for stimulus presentation. In this report we describe a computer based system that was designed to measure the reaction time to taste solutions dropped on the tongue. The equipment consists of a pumping system, an interface between the computer and the pumping system, the software required to control the interface and to measure reaction time, and a push button to detect the subject's response. The system can be used as a tool for both research and evaluation tests.