Running head: PREFERENCES FOR RUFFLES POTATO CHIPS AMONG INDIVIDUALS

Erica D. Borowitz, Aleesha Grigg, David Hurt, and Lia Ramos

Lewis & Clark College

Abstract

The preferences of Sour Cream and Cheddar potato chips were examined among an opportunistically selected group of people on the Lewis & Clark campus. The participants were asked to rate each chip, a regular variety, baked and a "WOW!" chip containing the fat substitute Olestra, after each sampling. The participants were asked to rate each chip on a Likert scale from 1 to 7. One described the chip as gross and seven described the chip as delicious. The results, as determined by analyzing the mean and using the statistical test of a one way ANOVA, indicated the preferred chip was the regular Sour Cream and Cheddar potato chip, followed by a preference for the "WOW!" Chip, and finally the baked. The findings imply that participants would be more inclined to purchase the regular potato chips if their buying habits were based on tastiness.

Preferences of Ruffles Potato Chips Among Individuals from the Lewis & Clark Campus as Determined by Fat Content

On a daily basis the public is bombarded with ads in the paper and commercials on television attempting to influence their purchasing habits. Advertisers representing food and beverage companies commonly use taste tests that encourage consumers to purchase their products. In many instances, this can be a very affective form of advertisement. Many consumers are more inclined to spend money on a food or beverage that has been confirmed to taste better through taste tests and historically been more popular. The importance of taste testing experiments is most clearly seen in the food industry where consumer psychologists are expected to understand and predict consumers’ preferences. Therefore, conducting an experiment of this nature was useful in many areas. Not only did we, the experimenters, gain a better understanding of how to deal with participants in a taste test, we will also be able to apply our increased knowledge to future studies, even those not related to taste tests. This particular experiment was conducted to give an idea as to what is expected of both experimenters and participants. This experiment was also meant as a learning experience for Psychology majors, delving into the world of experimental psychology. The experiment teaches students what is required to conduct a top-notch, reasonable experiment by learning both from the successes as well as from the mistakes.

A tool that has been vital in assessing and aiding our experiment is the Thumin [1962] study on the identification of cola beverages. This article clearly demonstrated a correct process for conducting a taste testing experiment. The Publication manual for the American psychological association (APA) [1994] was absolutely required to aid in the drafting of this report and instructs the author or authors on the specifics essential for writing an accurate, complete report.

This taste testing experiment hypothesized that the Regular potato chips would be the favorite, scoring above potato chips with a fat substitute or containing zero fat. This would indicate that consumers would be more enticed to buy the regular chips if they were purchasing based on taste preference.

The purpose of this experiment set out to discover if a taste difference was experienced as well as which kind of chip was preferred. The potato chips were Ruffles Sour Cream and Cheddar but were available in three different varieties, regular, baked and "WOW!" We expected the participants to prefer the regular chips because the fat contained in them created a more palatable sensation, as fat in foods has typically been used. People are also more accustomed to foods containing fat for flavor and have only recently been exposed to a food market inundated with products that contain zero fat, less fat, or a fat substitute. If people are making a decision based on taste preference, they will more likely select the food they have conceive as better tasting and as being more familiar. This does not take into account the increased demand for low fat foods to maintain a healthy diet.

Method

The group of participants who voluntarily participated in our experiment consisted of 30 people from the Lewis & Clark campus. They were opportunistically selected from those who walked by the Pamplin Sports Center, the location where we had devised our experiment. The participants represented graduate, undergraduate, and law students, as well as faculty and staff. Upon learning that their involvement would support their fellow peers and would be greatly appreciated, the participants were thus motivated to take part in the experiment.

Materials required for this experiment were minimal but essential. Three types of Sour Cream and Cheddar Ruffles potato chips were used in this taste testing experiment; baked, regular, and "WOW!" with olestra. The three kinds of chips were placed in three separate but equal plastic bowls. Paper napkins were placed over each to cover the chips. Small cups of water were provided for the palate cleansing required between taste trials. A plastic bowl contained the slips of paper the participants were directed to select. Finally, the experiment was conducted from a simple fold out table.

Participants were initially instructed to read and sign a consent form. The form explained that as a participant, they would be involved in a taste test designed as part of a class assignment. The participant was then asked to review a list of instructions that read:

To ensure counterbalancing in our experiment we instructed the participant to randomly select a slip of paper from a bowl and immediately hand it over to an experimenter. Since we had a goal of 30 participants, there were 30 slips of paper, each displaying a sequence of three letters: ABC, ACB, BAC, CAB, BCA, or CBA. There were five slips of paper representing each of the six sequences of letters. In front of the participant there were three bowls, each containing one kind of the three potato chips. Each bowl was labeled A, B, or C. The baked Ruffles were in bowl A, the regular Ruffles were in bowl B, and "WOW!" Ruffles were placed in bowl C. At the time of the experiment, only one experimenter was aware of which bowl contained what kind of chip. This step was taken to prevent experimenter bias because the three remaining experimenters were thus prevented from influencing the participants, either intentionally or unintentionally. Each bowl was then covered with a napkin to prevent the participants from being biased by the initial appearance of the chips because there was a definite visual variation. The subject was then prompted by the experimenter to take a chip from either bowl A, B, or C, depending on the subject’s slip. The subject was instructed to eat the chip and tell the experimenter how he or she would rate the chip on the Likert scale from 1 to 7. A rating of one indicated the chip was gross and a rating of seven indicated the chip was delicious. After the participant sampled the chip, he or she followed by cleansing his or her palate with a cup of water. Again, the experimenter instructed the participant to take a chip from a specific covered bowl. The participant rated the chip and then cleansed his or her palate. Finally, the participant proceeded into the final taste-test and rated the chip accordingly. This concluded the Sour Cream and Cheddar Ruffles taste-test.

Results

This taste testing experiment generated results that displayed the regular potato chips as the clear favorite, followed by the "WOW!" potato chips, and finally the baked chips. Each participant was required to rate each chip on a Likert scale from 1 to 7. The mean rating was determined for each chip and clearly helps us understand which type of chip was the first choice. The regular chips had a mean of 5.3 (std. dev. of 1.4), the "WOW!" chips had a mean of 4.4(std. dev. of 1.2), and the baked chips had a mean of 3.5 (std. dev. of 1.2).

The appropriate statistical test to analyze the results was the one-way repeated measures ANOVA. A one-way ANOVA is used when there is one single, independent variable and more than two conditions. In this case, the independent variable was the Sour Cream and cheddar Potato chips and the conditions were the three different kinds of chips, regular, "WOW!" and baked. The computations indicated that the p < .0001, establishing the results as statistically significant. The statistical test showed that there was a preference for the regular potato chips.

Discussion

It appears that those opportunistically selected participants demonstrated a clear preference for regular Sour Cream and Cheddar Ruffles potato chip. Our original hypothesis was only partially correct in that we predicted the regular potato chips would be the most popular but we had selected the baked chips to follow in preference. However, the "WOW!" chips were favored above the baked by our participants. This may be indicative of consumers’ feelings in general of regular potato chips compared to reduced fat chips, zero fat chips and ones containing a fat substitute. If given the opportunity to purchase any kind of potato chip of their choice, consumers will most likely select the regular if they are more concerned with taste than the negatives of fat content. The creators of Olestra claim that this fat substitute, which was used in the "WOW!" Chips, does not alter the taste or texture of the chips; however this experiment indicates that Olestra does not give provide the chips with the same qualities as a regular chip.

Upon completion of the experiment, we became keenly aware of areas in which we may have had confounding variables. The results of the experiment could have been negatively affected in a variety of ways. There is some variation among the same kind of chips, meaning some are more covered in the "sour cream and cheddar" flavoring thus affecting their taste. Also, considering the experiment was conducted in the morning participants may have just finished brushing their teeth, which would affect flavor, or they may not have had the craving for potato chips in the first place, reflecting negatively in their response. To eradicate this in future taste tests, we will conduct the experiment later in the day, a more appropriate time for potato chips. In addition, the participant may have been influenced by the other participants’ reactions to the chips. To prevent this confounding variable in the future, we will designate a private booth for participants to sample the chips. And although we attempted to prevent subject bias due to the appearance of the chip, they were able to clearly see the chip as they were placing it in their mouths. Perhaps, the participants could be blindfolded to prevent this bias in the future. All in all, the experiment went successfully and was very useful in demonstrating the required skills and necessary steps to conduct a sound psychological experiment.

References

Washington, D.C: American Psychological Association

358-360.