1、Designation: E2299 11Standard Guide forSensory Evaluation of Products by Children1This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2299; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in par
2、entheses indicates the year of last reapproval. Asuperscript epsilon () indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1. Scope1.1 This standard guide provides a framework for under-standing the issues relating to conducting sensory and marketresearch studies with children. It r
3、ecommends and providesexamples for developing ethical, safe, and valid testing meth-ods. It focuses specifically on the concerns relevant to testingwith children from birth through preadolescence. The guideassumes that teens older than 15 years of age are generallycapable of performing sensory tests
4、 like adults, and therefore,all standard procedures used with adult subjects apply. The oneexception, however, is legal consent where parental permissionshould be obtained for anyone under 18 years of age.1.2 The guide will take into account the wide range ofchildrens physical, emotional, and cognit
5、ive levels of devel-opment. It will prove useful for developing tasks that areunderstandable to children. It recommends alternative modesfor children to communicate their opinions or perceptions backto the researcher, such as appropriate scales and measures.1.3 The ethical standard presented in this
6、 document shouldbe viewed as a minimum requirement for testing with minors.The safety and protection of children as respondents, as well asan attitude of respect for the value of their input should be ofprimary concern to the researcher.1.4 The considerations raised in this document may also beusefu
7、l when testing with the elderly or with adults who havedevelopmental handicaps.1.5 This document is not intended to be a complete descrip-tion of reliable sensory testing techniques and methodologies.It focuses instead on special considerations for the specificapplication of sensory techniques when
8、testing with children. Itassumes knowledge of basic sensory and statistical analysistechniques.2. Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:2E253 Terminology Relating to Sensory Evaluation of Ma-terials and ProductsE1958 Guide for Sensory Claim Substantiation3. Summary of GuideSpecific Applications for
9、 TestingWith Children3.1 The primary use of children in sensory studies is tomeasure the acceptability of foods, beverages, pharmaceuticalcolors and flavors, and other products designed to be marketedto, consumed by, or used by children.3.2 In this sense, they answer many of the same questionsposed
10、by effective sensory tests with adults. Children are usedto measure overall acceptance, liking, or preference betweensamples. The resulting information can be used to aid informulation changes or to choose between alternative products.3.3 Sensory testing with children can also be used toidentify uni
11、que characteristics or functions of products, such asthe effectiveness of childproof safety caps. Other applicationsinclude advertising research or identification of unfilled needsor wants as part of the product development process (see GuideE1958).3.4 Finally, some organizations are using children
12、for basicresearch into the effectiveness of different scaling methods orsensory testing methodologies with children of varying ages.4. Significance and Use4.1 It is necessary and useful to test with children becausethey represent the real end-users for many products. Someproducts are developed speci
13、fically for children, and some aredual-purpose products that are intended for adults and children.Examples include: baby foods, diapers, ready-to-eat cereal,juices, food or lunch kits, candy, toys, vitamins and otherpharmaceuticals, music and videos, interactive learning tools,and packaging.4.2 Chil
14、dren have influence over their parents purchasedecisions. They also have more money than in the past, and areresponsible for more of their own purchase decisions at anearlier age. As a result, many manufacturers advertise specifi-cally to children.4.3 Creating a product for children requires input f
15、romchildren because their wants and needs differ from those ofadults. For example, they may differ from adults in preferencesor sensory acuity, or both, for sweetness, saltiness, carbonation,and texture. It is impossible to predict the nature of thesedifferences without actual input from the intende
16、d target1This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E18 on SensoryEvaluation and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E18.05 on SensoryApplications-General.Current edition approved Nov. 15, 2011. Published January 2012. Originallyapproved in 2003. Last previous edition approved i
17、n 2003 as E2299 03. DOI:10.1520/E2299-11.2For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, orcontact ASTM Customer Service at serviceastm.org. For Annual Book of ASTMStandards volume information, refer to the standards Document Summary page onthe ASTM website.1Copyright ASTM Inte
18、rnational, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.audience, and for that reason, testing with children continues togrow in the consumer product industry.5. Test Methods5.1 Skill Development and Appropriate Testing:5.1.1 Testing with children requires spec
19、ial consideration oftheir language development, motor skills, and social andpsychological development. Every child is unique, and there isgreat variation within and across age groups. In developingappropriate test methodologies for children, it is more impor-tant to consider individual skill develop
20、ment than chronologi-cal age. Table 1 provides a general guideline for expectationsof skill level and appropriate evaluation techniques for eachage group. For each age group, there is corresponding textdiscussing special testing considerations.5.1.2 The researcher should keep in mind that there arem
21、any children in each age grouping who will fall below orabove these skill levels. It is the responsibility of the researcherto verify the ability of the children to complete the task asplanned, or to modify it as required to meet the needs of thechildren selected for testing. For example, while some
22、 secondgrade children may be able to read and understand testinstructions, others will need assistance with that task.5.2 Infants (Birth to 18 months) and Toddlers (18 months to3 years):5.2.1 Recommended Evaluation Techniques and Types ofInformation:5.2.1.1 Information may be gathered from behaviora
23、l obser-vations, diaries, or records from an adult experimenter whomay be a trained evaluator, or the childs primary caregiver. Itis the adult who interprets infant or toddler responses. Withtoddlers, some verbal responses may also be obtained. Whenthe primary caregiver is involved, having an unbias
24、ed observerwatch the interaction between the child and adult is beneficial.Video taping the test allows greater flexibility and opportunityfor additional review.5.2.1.2 Information may include observations recorded be-fore, during, or after product use in either a clinical environ-ment or more natur
25、al usage situation (such as the home or agroup child care environment). Behavioral observations mayinclude hand and eye movement, facial expressions, time spentplaying, amount and time of consumption, or interaction withthe product. Diaries or records can be used to track intake orconsumption, frequ
26、ency and duration of use, length of attentionspan, or the condition of the product before, during and afteruse. In addition, an adult can fill out a simple questionnairewith facial scales as a way to mimic the childs response andaid in interpretation.5.2.2 Cautions:5.2.2.1 Due to the limited languag
27、e, attention span, andmotor skills, the length of the testing session and number ofproducts evaluated must be limited. Input from the primarycaregiver as to the amount and length of exposure is critical.Consideration may be given to exposing the caregiver to theproducts prior to the test as a way to
28、 screen and eliminate alarge number of samples. This technique also allows thecaregiver to increase their comfort level about exposing theirchild to the product.5.2.2.2 Caution should be used when the caregiver is askedto make a subjective judgement for the young child. Primarycaregivers, especially
29、 parents, may respond from personalpreferences, interpreting for the child their own personalopinion. At other times, primary caregivers or parents mayunknowingly establish a pattern of responses that they believewould present their child in a positive manner to the evaluator.An option to reduce pot
30、ential biases includes providing anenvironment that fosters honest responses (for example, field-ing through a third party agency or non-company identifiedfacility, indicating the importance of the data, or how the datawill be used, or both).Another option is to have the parent feedthe child first,
31、record the childs response and then the parentmay be instructed to taste and record their own response.5.2.2.3 Whether the observer is the primary caregiver, anexperimenter or trained evaluator, adult interpretation of ob-servational responses are subjective and may be affected byfactors unrelated t
32、o the product in question. For example,physical discomfort on the part of the child, such as tirednessor illness, may result in behaviors such as refusing to eat orpushing products away with hands. An unbiased observer orvideotaping the session, or both, in conjunction with parentalinput can aid in
33、cases where interpretation of a response isunclear. Multiple exposures and repeated evaluations may alsobe helpful.5.3 Pre-School (Age 3 to 5 years old):5.3.1 Recommended Evaluation Techniques and Types ofInformation:5.3.1.1 Behavioral observations and the diaries used withinfants and toddlers are a
34、lso appropriate with children 3 to 5years old. In addition, preschool children can begin usingverbal skills to communicate their responses about the prod-ucts. One-on-one interviews in the presence of a primarycaregiver, paired comparisons, or limited use of sorting andmatching techniques using pict
35、ures are appropriate.5.3.1.2 Keeping in mind individual differences, many chil-dren in this age group can perform simple tasks that providequantitative results. Suggested quantitative methods for pre-school children include using facial scales to measure liking,paired preference, and preference rank
36、ing techniques.5.3.2 Cautions:5.3.2.1 Children 3 to 5 years old exhibit a wide range ofdevelopmental skills. This age group has relatively limited finemotor skills, attention span, verbal and cognitive skills. Thesecharacteristics, combined with possible emotional dependence,require that testing pro
37、tocols be kept simple and non-threatening.5.3.2.2 Careful consideration must be given to testing loca-tion. Suggested options include testing in central location,educational, play or social settings. Familiar settings such aspreschools, churches, synagogues, or home settings may beideal. Both contro
38、lled and relaxed environments offer advan-tages and disadvantages that the researcher must consider.Generally, a relaxed atmosphere encourages more typicalbehavior when testing products with young children than aclinical setting, although a controlled setting may sometimesbe necessary for test speci
39、fic reasons.E2299 112TABLE 1 Summary of Skills and Behaviors of Children and TeensSkill/BehaviorInfantBirth to 18 monthsToddler18 months to 3 yearsPre-School3 to 5 yearsBeginning Readers5 to 8 yearsPre-Teen8 to 12 yearsTeenage12 to 15 yearsLanguageVerbal, Reading/Written Language,VocabularyPre-Verba
40、l. Rely on facialexpressions. Cannot read.Cannot write. Use sounds,very few words.Beginning to vocalize, adultinterpretation still required.Cannot read. Cannot write.Early word usagedeveloping.Early language development.Can observe facialexpressions, respond toquestions and pictures.Generally readin
41、g and writingskills are not present.Moderately developed verbaland vocabulary skills;cognitive skills increase.Early reading and writingskills vary greatly at this age.Adult assistance is advised.Increasingly verbalself-expression improves.Reading and writtenlanguage skills increaserapidly and are s
42、ufficient formost self-administered tasksat the upper limits of this agegroup.Generally strong languageand vocabulary skills.Reading and writtenlanguage skills continue toincrease. Adult level in mostrespects.Attention Span Gaged by eye contact andbodily movement. Brightcolors, sound, andmovements c
43、aptureattention.Gaged by eye contact orinvolvement with task, bodilymovement. Bright colors,sound, and movementscapture attention.Limited, but increasing.Bright colors, movement areeffective.Limited by understanding oftask and interest level,challenge. Limit tasks to 15min.Attention span is increasi
44、ng,but holding interest is criticaland sometimes difficult.Taking tests is a familiaractivity.Similar to adults,involvement and interestsubject to peer pressure.Reasoning Limited to pain and pleasure. Limited, but concept of “no”becoming a factor. Definitepreferences begin toemerge.Limited, but begi
45、nning to beable to verbalize what isliked and what is not.Developing with increasedlearning, cause/effectconcepts.Full ability for understandingand reasoning, capable ofdecision making.Reasoning skills are fullydeveloped and similar toadults.Decision Making Do not make complexdecisions.Do not make c
46、omplexdecisions, but “yes”/“no” canbe decisive. Ability to choosebegins.Limited, but concepts of whatis liked and what is notstrengthen. Able to chooseone thing over another.Ability to decide isincreasing, but influence ofadult approval is evident.Capable of complexdecisions, peer influences afactor
47、.Fully capable of adultdecision processes, subjectto peer influences.Understanding Scales Do not understand scales. Do not understand scales. Understanding of simplescales beginning, sorting oridentification tasks moreeffective.Scale understandingincreasing, simple is best,use easy vocabulary.Capabl
48、e of understandingscaling concepts withadequate instruction.Similar to adults.Motor Skills Possess some gross motorskills, no fine motor skillsRapid gains in gross motorskills, fine motor skills stilllimited.Development of gross andfine motor skills increasing.Gross motor skillsdeveloped, fine skill
49、sbecoming more refined.Hand to eye and other finemotor skills developed.Similar to adults.Recommended EvaluationTechniquesBehavioral ObservationsDiariesConsumption or duration measurementsPrevious, plus: PairedComparisonSorting and MatchingLimited PreferenceRankingOne-on-one interviewsPrevious, plus:Simple attribute ratingsLiking scalespictorial orsimple word scales.Group discussionsConcept testingPrevious, plus more abstractreasoning tasks.Hedonic scales.Simple attribute scaling andratings.Capable of all adultevaluation techniques.Adult Involvement Primary CaregiverTraine
