ABSTRACT.
The odor perceptions of six groups of subjects who varied in their degree of experience and training in odor evaluation were examined using a sorting task. Data were submitted to multidimensional scaling to produce perceptual models. Regardless of training or expertise, models of different subject groups were highly similar as measured by interpoint distance correlations (median r = 0.74). The retest correlation of one group tested twice with no intervening training was 0.85. A two‐dimensional model provided a better fit to the data of fragrance descriptive panelists than to that of other subjects, but the configuration of these trained panelists was qualitatively similar to all other groups. The method of odor sorting as analyzed by multidimensional scaling was relatively unaffected by learning or other cognitive/linguistic influences on odor perception and showed a fair degree of reliability and inter‐group consistency in odor quality perception.
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