Coke vs Pepsi

Coke/Pepsi Taste Test

Part I: Designing the Study

1. How could you design a study that would determine if someone could actually tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi? Explain.

Answers will vary. Note the actual design used in class is given below.

Assign Roles to Group Members:

Taster - Those students who think they can tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi.

Runner - Those students who deliver cups of soda from the pourer to the taster.

Recorder - Those students who record and report the results of the taster.

Pourer - They determine the order of the soda and also pour the soda.

Tasters, Runners, and Recorders will initially leave the room. Tasters get a Dixie Cup to fill with water. They are to cleanse their palette with a drink of water after each soda tasting. Recorders should bring a notebook and pencil with them to record the results of the test.

Pourers will use a coin to determine the pouring order of the five sodas. They will then pour the soda and prepare the five cups for distribution to their taster. After the Dixie cups of cola have been poured and laid out on the table by the pourers, the Runners are called to bring one cup at a time to their assigned subject. The Recorder writes down the results and reviews with pourer at end of test.

The study has the merit of the taster and recorder both do not know the type of soda that was served to the taster. Thus, if the taster could correctly identify the soda, we may tend to believe that he or she can tell the difference between Coke and Pepsi.

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NULL MODEL: There is no difference in taste between Coke and Pepsi.

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ALTERNATIVE MODEL: There is a difference in taste between Coke and Pepsi.

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