Abstract: The present disclosure provides tools and methods for improving differentiation in child-liking scores in a product testing environment and/or to improve development of products for child consumers. In an embodiment, tools for differentiating market research scores are provided and include a product rating scale having a plurality of successive scale points and a verbal anchor corresponding to each scale point, and a behavioral list with a plurality of product acceptance behaviors. Methods for differentiating market research scores are also provided and include instructing a consumer to evaluate a product according to a product rating scale, instructing the consumer to evaluate a product according to a behavioral list, and applying, using a digital computer, a multivariate analysis of variance to the product rating scale information and the behavioral information.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods for obtaining direct child-liking information in a product testing environment and/or for improving development of products for pre-school-aged consumers. In an embodiment, methods for directly assessing child-liking of a food product are provided and include the use of a 4-point, bifurcated scale-based approach. The scale-based approach employs an initial two-component assessment as to whether a child finds a product to be acceptable or unacceptable. Upon establishment of the acceptableness of the food product, the scale-based approach further asks the child whether the acceptableness of the food product should be modified to assess the degree of acceptableness of the food product.