Why go beyond liking?
A liking score tells us how much consumers appreciate a product. Development may also require information about perceived attributes, reported emotions and the experience during use.
Three complementary dimensions
Sensory
What is perceived?
Hedonic
How much is it liked?
Emotional
How is it experienced?
Different questions require different information
Sensory assessment characterises perception. Hedonic assessment examines appreciation or preference. Emotional assessment describes the felt experience. Combining them is useful when each addresses a question relevant to the decision.
An example from cosmetic research
Giuffrè and colleagues (2025) used temporal sensory and emotional methods to study facial creams. Their research illustrates how profiling can distinguish experiences beyond overall liking. The development question is what these differences contribute to the intended experience.
The contribution depends on the product
Giacalone and colleagues (2022) examined emotional, conceptual and situational measures in models of reported food consumption. Useful combinations varied with product category. These findings concern reported past consumption, not a general guarantee of individual purchase prediction.
What this means for development
Identify whether the decision concerns the most appreciated option, a distinctive experience, a target emotional objective or a particular usage situation. Measurement follows that decision. External studies are scientific references, not EmoSpin case studies.
References
- Giuffrè MR et al. (2025). Capturing the sensory and emotional dynamics of cosmetic creams during usage: A temporal dominance approach. Food Quality and Preference, 131, 105556.
DOI - Giacalone D, Llobell F, Jaeger SR (2022). Beyond liking measures in food-related consumer research supplement hedonic responses and improve ability to predict consumption. Food Quality and Preference, 97, 104459.
DOI
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Describe the product or experience and the decision you need to make.
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