Abstract

Immersive technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), are increasingly being explored to enhance the contextual relevance of consumer testing while preserving rigorous laboratory control. This study investigated the impact of immersive contexts on the sensory perception of food products by comparing a standard physical sensory booth (SB) and a VR of restaurant (V-restaurant) using a repeated measures design where a consumer panel evaluated each matrix once per environment. For the chocolate chip biscuit matrix, the immersive context of the V-restaurant significantly altered product optimization profiles; the optimal just-about-right (JAR) score for sweetness decreased from 43% in the SB to 35% in the V-restaurant, while the perception of excessive chocolate intensity (“Too Much”) increased sharply from 55% in the SB to 83% in the V-restaurant. Conversely, for the orange juice matrix, evaluation in the V-restaurant slightly increased the optimal JAR score for sweetness from 33% SB to 35% V-restaurant, while the optimal sourness score decreased from 38% to 30%. These matrixdependent variations underscore that immersive environments can drastically shift consumer attribute ideal-scaling compared to traditional analytical laboratory settings.

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