V04-30

Official Solution:


In an experiment involving taste, researchers had participants try two versions of a cola, one regular and another, called “cola extra,” to which white vinegar had been added. All the participants of the research were informed that a “secret taste-enhancing ingredient” had been added to one of the beverages. The researchers found that, when the tasters did not know what the secret ingredient was, they preferred “cola extra” by a margin of almost two to one. However, when tasters were told the identity of the secret ingredient before drinking, they preferred the cola without vinegar 98% of the time.

Which of the following, if true, forms the best basis for an explanation of this outcome?


A. Only a few consumers are excited by the possibility of tasting a “secret ingredient” and will always prefer that choice.
B. For most consumers, expectation strongly influences the perception of flavors.
C. Most cola drinkers prefer beverages without vinegar, even when they do not know vinegar is present.
D. Cola recipes contain other taste-enhancing ingredients.
E. Some colas with ingredients similar in taste to white vinegar are popular.


Situation: In a taste test, participants who did not know one of the colas contained vinegar preferred the cola with vinegar. When participants did know there was vinegar in one of the colas, they preferred the cola without vinegar.

Reasoning: Which option best explains the outcome of the experiment? The experiment described in the passage is performed with two groups of tasters. Both groups taste both regular cola and “cola extra,” which contains a secret ingredient. The only difference between the two groups is that the first group does not know before drinking that the secret ingredient is white vinegar. The second group, however, knows about the vinegar before drinking. Since the first group prefers “cola extra” and the second prefers regular cola, it is reasonable to assume that each group’s expectations affected their experience of the taste of each cola.

A. This option contradicts the behavior of the first group. If only a few consumers were excited, then why would most of the first group be influenced by the information about the presence of a secret ingredient? Hence this option can be eliminated.

B. CORRECT For both groups of tasters, expectation of a “secret taste-enhancing ingredient” changed their perceptions of each cola. The first group preferred “cola extra” because they did not know that the taste-enhancing ingredient is white vinegar, whereas the second group preferred regular cola because they expected vinegar to have an unpleasant taste.

C. The option contradicts the behavior of the first group - it states that when the consumers do not know that vinegar is present, they prefer beverages without vinegar, whereas in the experiment the first group preferred the one with vinegar.

D. This option is irrelevant to the study. It is immaterial whether the beverages already contain other taste-enhancing ingredients. Irrespective of whether there is some other taste-enhancing material in cola, the inferences from the observations would not be affected, because the conclusion is based on presence of white vinegar in one of the beverages, while both them may or may not already contain some other taste-enhancing ingredient.

E. This option contradicts the behavior of the second group of participants. If a cola with an ingredient similar in taste to white vinegar could be popular, then why would most of the participants in the second group prefer the cola without white vinegar? Hence this option can be eliminated.


Answer: B