An alternative method for assessing liking: Positional relative rating versus the 9-point hedonic scale

An alternative rating method, known as positional relative rating (PRR), or rank rating, was compared with the traditional 9-point hedonic scale. Initially, category scale and line scale versions of PRR were investigated to see which of either was better at differentiating samples. Four lemonades were assessed in duplicate on both scales (category and line). Overall quality, sweetness intensity and sourness intensity were assessed in separate sessions by groups of similar to 50 consumers, depending on session. The category scale better diffrentiated samples than did the line scale for two of three attributes assessed, with differentiation being the same in the third. Subsequently, the overall liking of these same lemonades was assessed by 100 consumers on both the PRR category scale and the traditional 9-point hedonic scale. The differentiation of samples for both scales was equivalent, although mean values were somewhat lower with PRR.