Discrimination Testing - Types of Test

Types of Test

A number of tests can be classified as discrimination tests. If it's designed to detect a difference then it's a discrimination test. The type of test determines the number of samples presented to each member of the panel and also the question(s) they are asked to respond to.

Schematically, these tests may be described as follows; A & B are used for knowns, X and Y are used for different unknowns, while (AB) means that the order of presentation is unknown:

Paired comparison
XY or (AB) – two unknown samples, known to be different, test is which satisfies some criterion (X or Y); unlike the others this is not an equality test.
Duo-trio
AXY – one known, two unknown, test is which unknown is the known (X = A or Y = A)
Triangle
(XXY) – three unknowns, test is which is odd one out (Y = 1, Y = 2, or Y = 3).
ABX
ABX – two knowns, one unknown, test is which of the knowns the unknown is (X = A or X = B).
Duo-trio in constant reference mode
(AB)X – three unknowns, where it is stated that the first two are different, but which is which is not identified, test is which of the first two the third is (X = 1 or X = 2).

Read more about this topic:  Discrimination Testing

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