What are Acceptance Tests?

Acceptance tests are used to evaluate product acceptability or liking or to determine which of a series of products is the most acceptable or the most preferred. It should, however, be emphasized that acceptability and preference are not the same thing. For example, a person may prefer product A to product B, but actually find them both unacceptable.
 
Information derived from acceptance testing will only be of value if it reflects the results that would be obtained in the population at large, and this is unlikely to be achieved unless a panel which represents the target population is recruited. Such consumer panels are usually quite large, and their use in product testing has tended to be the responsibility of the market researcher rather than the  sensory analyst. However, there are common features in the test methodology and common products being studied, so it is appropriate for the sensory analyst to be aware of the  existence and purpose of these acceptability tests, if only in the interests of the effective interdepartmental communication. In addition, the sensory analyst can sometimes apply acceptance tests in a limited way to obtain an indication about product acceptability and may be asked to pilot such "consumer guidance" tests during product development and before products are subjected to more detailed market research.
 
There are three main methods of sample presentation that are used in acceptance tests - monadic, sequential monadic and paired presentation.

1.  In monadic tests, samples are presented one at a time.
2.  In sequential monadic tests, samples are presented in sequence, to be assessed one at a time.
3.  In paired tests, samples are presented two at a time, generally with some form of direct comparison in mind.