Métodos estatísticos para avaliação da influência de características não sensoriais na aceitação, intenção de compra e escolha do consumidor

• Autor(a) principal: Lucia, Suzana Maria Della
• Data de Publicação: 2008
• Tipo de documento: Tese
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: LOCUS Repositório Institucional da UFV
• Texto Completo: http://locus.ufv.br/handle/123456789/395
• topic: Análise sensorial; Características não-sensoriais; Consumidor; Sensory analysis; Non-sensoru characteristics; Consumer; CNPQ::CIENCIAS AGRARIAS::CIENCIA E TECNOLOGIA DE ALIMENTOS::CIENCIA DE ALIMENTOS

The interaction between sensory analysis and the study of consumer behavior has been a reality in processes which involve new product development. This happens because when consumer evaluates a product, he evaluates not only sensory characteristics such as appearance, aroma, flavor and texture, but also non-sensory characteristics related to food or to his own beliefs. In this context, it is necessary the knowledge of methodologies capable of helping on the understanding and interpretation of data collected during food evaluation by consumer. The objective of this work was to investigate statistical methods which can be used on the evaluation of the influence of non-sensory characteristics on food acceptability, purchase intention and choice. The objective was not to compare such methods in order to indicate the best or the worst, but to explain how they can be applied and how to interpret their results. On the first part of this study, eight commercial brands of Pilsen beer were evaluated by 101 consumers in three sessions of acceptance tests: blind test, packaging test and informed test. Data obtained were analyzed by different methods: descriptive statistics, ANOVA and Tukey s t test, paired comparison t test, odds ratio test, relative risk test and probit regression. Descriptive statistics provided some evidence that brand name influences consumer s acceptance although the technique does not allow inferences on consumers population as a whole. Tukey s t test and paired comparison t test allowed clear interpretation about the existence of differences between samples acceptance. Odds ratio test and relative risk test applied for the first time to data on sensory acceptance are practical and useful, being easily calculated and replicated; their application allowed easy understanding on their objectives and easy interpretation of results. The probit regression was first explored in this work in sensory analysis and, although laborious, made possible the observation of consumers behavior by means of plots made from estimates of the probability of hedonic scores. As a general overview given by analyses applied to data on beer acceptance, one may conclude that for brands B, C and D, the brand name had a positive impact on sensory acceptance, while brands A, F, G and H had a negative influence on consumers evaluation. Brand E showed little influence on the consumers. On the second part of this study, the objective was to evaluate the impact of strawberry flavored light yogurt on consumer purchase intention and choice, by means of ratings-based conjoint analysis (RBCA) and choice-based conjoint analysis (CBCA). Three factors of two levels each were defined to compose packaging images: sugar content ( 0% sugar and with sweetener ), fat content ( 0% fat and low fat content ) and protein content ( enriched with bioactive proteins and enriched with milk whey proteins ). Eight yogurt packaging images were created based on a full-factorial arrangement. A total of 144 consumers evaluated these packagings by two methods: a) in terms of purchase intention by rating scales (RBCA) and b) in terms of choice (CBCA). Comparing data from RBCA and from CBCA, it may be concluded that the treatment with the higher purchase intention was also that one of the higher choice probability (packaging with the informations 0% sugar , 0% fat and enriched with bioactive proteins ). The methodologies showed themselves to be useful and allowed observation of advantages and disadvantages of their application. CBCA, little explored in Brazil, was duly described to be utilized in tests involving the influence of non-sensory characteristics on consumer s evaluation. It is expected that the research tools here presented may provide a simple and objective way of conducting and interpreting data in situations that involve an interaction between sensory analysis and consumer behavior.