Taste perception: More than meets the tongue

Perceptual discrimination is fundamental to rational choice in many product categories yet rarely examined in consumer research. The present research investigates discrimination as it pertains to consumers' ability to identify differences - or the lack thereof - among gustatory stimuli. Three experiments reveal systematic bias resulting from the presence of common visual and verbal product cues. Particularly noteworthy is the finding that the amount of bias induced by a subtle, nonevaluative cue can far exceed the bias induced by overt and well-established evaluative cues. In addition, the effects these cues have on perceptual discrimination diverge from the effects they have on preference.