In a recent study examining the relationship between expectation and

I know the OA is suppose to be (B), and it's clear that the other answers are all problematic in one way or another. I will say, though, this is not a satisfying question. Let's examine the world that would be true in (B).

The researchers told the subjects to focus on: which one had a secret ingredient? Let's assume subjects really were focused on that. When subjects would taste one, the normal one, it would fit their expectations. When they would taste the other, with white vinegar, presumably this one would be different from what they expected. So we know they would be trying to identify which one was different, and it's reasonable to assume that when they tasted the one with white vinegar, they had an experience different from what they were expecting. Granting all that, how do we conclude they they would like the experience of soda with white vinegar, preferring it to the normal soda? That seems to be a gigantic leap. I could easily imagine the subjects taking a swig of the altered soda and saying, "YUCK! I don't know why that one's so foul, but there's definitely something off about it." In other words, just because they were looking for something different, and just because they had an experience that did not meet their expectations, I see no basis for concluding with any confidence that they liked the altered soda or, even more so, that they would have preferred. Vastly unpleasant experiences can also result when one's expectations are not met.

Perhaps whoever wrote this question had in mind some assumptions from the psychology of perception, but a good CR question doesn't rely on outside knowledge. I have seriously doubts about this question.

Let me know if anyone would like to discuss this further.