coke vs pepsi taste test experiments

To learn the characteristics of a well defined experiment. Give the taste tester a palate cleanser after each drink. (2004) Investigated decision making during a Coke vs Pepsi taste test, by monitoring brain activity. They found that, when the colas were tested anonymously, there was no preference between Coke and Pepsi, and brain areas concerned with perception and decision making were active. A savvy exec at Pepsi came up with a bold revolutionary strategy to do just that. Students are asked to self identify who can correctly identify Coke or Pepsi in a blind taste test. The results were remarkable; people picked Pepsi over Coke by a significant margin. Coke VS Pepsi Blind Taste TestThis video was inspired by @BenDeen's coke vs pepsi test, after someone linked his video in one of my comments. The tasters will cleanse their palettes in between trials by taking a drink of water. Diet Pepsi – A Detective Story The population of interest is high school-age teenagers, whose taste preferences and ability are in Next, the runners will bring the first Dixie cups with cola to their group taster. ( Log Out /  What potential confounding variables were present in the study? Each group member has one of the following roles: First, the tasters, the recorders, and the runners will leave the room. Why Not Both? The activity also allows students to begin to understand the process of hypothesis testing by comparing their observed results of the taste test to the results obtained through Sampling SIM (which model would be obtained by chance). There was a lack of random sampling in regards to the Coke vs. Pepsi research design as people who drank the drinks were only chosen from Dr. MacFarlane’s General Psychology class that occurs at 2 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Two of the limitations that stood out in the research design were that there was neither a random sampling, nor a random assignment in regards to the person who held the position of Executive Soda Analyst. These people may switch groups when the taste testing begins so they will not know the order of colas to be tested. Tasters--those who think they can tell the difference (blind to test). Try to make sure that you have one person in each group that thinks they can distinguish between Coke and Pepsi. Describe any possible sources of confounding in the experiment. How were three elements of a good experiment (random assignment, control, and replication) included or not included in this experiment? Finally, the experiment is critiqued in terms of how well it met the standards for a good experiment. One of the strongest parts of the research design for the Coke vs. Pepsi experiment was the random assignment of the independent variable. The independent variable in this case was if the taste tester received Coke or Pepsi in each of their five cups, as this was able to be manipulated by the Fluid Dispensing Engineer. This gives is a stronger blast of flavour while Coke is a lot smoother. This is part of a special series about great rivalries: between tech titans, sports franchises, and even dinosaur hunters. Pepsi vs Coke: A Neuromarketing Study. Short URL: https://serc.carleton.edu/18308. A Look into the Mind of a Sophmore in College. Refrigerate each of the sodas so that they are cold for when the taste testers are drinking them. Another strength of the research design was the prevention of bias as a confounding factor by keeping the Fluid Dispensing and Randomization Team separate from the Data, Logistics, and Analyst Team. Psych Class or Buzzfeed? Repeat the above process 4 more times for a total of 5 trials. Synthetic Remarks 2011, 1, 1-2.. Introduction. Coke got high marks for its just-perfect carbonation, nice sweet flavor and overall refreshing quality. The Text Widget allows you to add text or HTML to your sidebar. Lastly, the confidence level of the Soda Analyst can be seen as a confounding variable. Then students can compare the number of correct guesses to this distribution to see if their score is due to chance (in the middle) or surprising (in one of the tails). General Consensus: We had this cult cola going for the gold, but it petered … The results of the test leaned toward a consensus that Pepsi was preferred by more Americans. In this taste test however I decided to not simply test whether or not a person could distinguish one cola brand from the other, but instead see if people with a preference could still distinguish a difference even if everyone around them was giving a different answer. Know Your Cola 3. Due to this fact, the results of the experiment cannot be generalized to the entire population of soda drinkers, as one class cannot be representative of the “people” addressed in the research question. I think it has less of a sugary aftertaste. A final discussion involves critiquing the experiment and talking about what could have made it better (e.g., more tastes). To learn to recognize instances of confounding. This study is neither the first nor the last word on Coke or Pepsi or letter preference. Use Sampling SIM (or another simulation program or applet) to simulate the Coke/Pepsi activity, simulating data for 500 trials. It also shows the amount of students that chose Pepsi or Coke. The conclusion we drew was not valid due to the limitations and confounding variables of the research design. Score: 57. ) But in 1975, Pepsi started a marketing campaign that gave Coke a run for its money: the “Pepsi Challenge,” a blind taste test showing more people preferred Pepsi over Coke. The temperature of the soda can be considered a confounding variable as most people do not drink soda warm. to the CAUSE review criteria for its pedagogic collection. After a discussion of various methods, a plan is introduced to use in conducting a taste test. The pourers will pour the appropriate drinks into paper cups, and leave them in a row to be tasted at their table. In the experiments, the sips were preceded by either "anonymous" cues of flashes of light or pictures of a Coke or Pepsi can. Pepsi conducted blind taste tests using letters [for] identification and determined that Coke drinkers prefer Pepsi over Coke. The five categories included in the process are. ( Log Out /  That idea was the Pepsi Challenge. Your … Neuromarketing can be defined as a field, employing neuroscientific methods to investigate and understand human behaviour concerning markets and marketing exchanges, according to its common description in scientific literature. – we conducted the following experiment, in accordance with the highest standards of the scientific method. When it comes to Pepsi and Coke many people have a preference and most will be able to acknowledge the distinct taste difference. What are 5 specific changes you would make to the research design to improve the study? Creative Commons license unless otherwise noted below. Coke/Pepsi Taste Test Part I: Designing the Study 1. Click here for the Coke Versus Pepsi: Taste-Testing the Brands (Slideshow) Strangely enough, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have been fighting over our tastebuds since the 19th century — literally. Overall, Coca-Cola continues to outsell Pepsi in almost all areas of the world. This activity allows students to gain a better understanding of the experimental process and causality through considering control, random assignment, and possible confounding variables. Runners--those who run cups of cola from room to hall (blind to test). In other words the people were guessing which was Pepsi/Coke. The independent variable in this case was if the taste tester received Coke or Pepsi in each of their five cups, as this was able to be manipulated by the Fluid Dispensing Engineer. Potential confounding variables in the study could have been the amount of time it had been since the Executive Soda Analyst drank a Coke or Pepsi, the temperature of the soda, and the confidence level of the Executive Soda Analyst. The results are reveled and the number of correctly identified colas is tallied for each taster. This activity was selected for the On the Cutting Edge Reviewed Teaching Collection, This activity has received positive reviews in a peer review process involving five review categories. Then the representative reveals the two bottles so the taster can see whether they preferred Coke or Pepsi. ...1. Experimental Procedure Brady, Guglietta, Panza, Myers Treatment Group 1 Data Conclusion & Reflection Diet Coke vs. This is how cola is supposed to taste. One detail to point out though, is the taste tester did cleanse his or her palate with a drink of water between samples. Step 2 : Answer to the question "6. NSF-Funded AIMS Project (J. Garfield, R. delMas, and A. Zieffler, University of Minnesota), https://serc.carleton.edu/teachearth/activity_review.html, References and Additional Resources on Simulation of Data, Alignment of Learning Goals, Activities, and Assessments, Robustness (usability and dependability of all components), Completeness of the ActivitySheet web page. Remember the “gold standard” for experiments as … The results of the experiment are shown in Figure 2. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Have students discuss or write answers to the following questions: Material on this page is offered under a To understand the process of hypothesis testing by comparing the observed results to the results obtained under chance conditions. Everyone seems to have their favorite although some people don’t really have a preference. Copy of Student Handout (Microsoft Word 43kB Feb25 07). In the first stage of the activity students design and conduct the experiment. The Coke vs. Pepsi Taste Test Challenge has students design and carry out an experiment to determine whether or not students are able to correctly identify two brands of cola in a blind taste test. For more information about the peer review process itself, please see https://serc.carleton.edu/teachearth/activity_review.html. The amount of time it had been since the Executive Soda Analyst drank a Coke or a Pepsi can be considered a confounding variable as the taste tester who has not had Coke or Pepsi over a long period of time would struggle much more between the choose of both soda than a person who drink Coke, Pepsi, or both often. The tasters will taste the drink and make a decision about whether they think it is Coke or Pepsi that they are drinking. At malls, shopping centers, and other public locations, a Pepsi representative sets up a table with two white cups: one containing Pepsi and one with Coca-Cola. The pourers will be the only members of the group knowledgeable of the condition. To learn to understand and recognize instances of experimental control. Figure 2. Independent Variable: Type of soda - Pepsi or Coke Dependent Variable: Soda preference in blinded experiment The chart below demonstrates the classes that took part in this blinded experiment. The separation of these two groups was crucial as it prevented the Fluid Dispensing and Randomization Team from making any faces or saying any comments that would influence the Executive Soda Analyst while he or she tasted each drink, which would result in a confounding variable. Whether or not that is an effective palate cleanser, however, is certainly up for debate. As a diehard Coke fan, I can’t say I’m surprised by these results! In class we conducted an experiment to see of certain students could taste the difference between Coke and Pepsi in random samples. Dr. MacFarlane chose only those that felt he most confident in their abilities to tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi, meaning that each of the tester may have made snap judgement due to their over confidence. In the first stage of the activity students design and conduct the experiment. He also states that the sweeter and more citrusy taste behind Pepsi is why it usually wins in taste tests. The experimental design enabled the researchers to discover the specific brain regions activated when the subjects used only taste information versus when they also had brand identification. 10 Dixie cups per group for taste testing, 8 additional Dixie cups for clearing the palate, Coke and Pepsi (4 cans of each is enough for 8 groups), Coke/Pepsi pourer slips, where each group is given a random order of Coke and Pepsi over 10 trials, Sampling SIM software loaded on the computer or another simulation program or applet (see Available Technologies)