Development of taste perception in humans: Sensitivity and preference throughout the life span.
Cowart, Beverly J.
[Article] Psychological Bulletin. 90(1):43-73, July 1981.

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Critically reviews literature relating to the development of taste sensitivity and preference in humans. Characterization of the sensitivities and preferences of children and the elderly, relative to those of young adults, is of both theoretical and practical importance. Nonetheless, these age groups have been neglected in psychophysical investigations. There is a need to employ measurement techniques that are minimally affected by developmental changes in attention, motivation, and other nonsensory factors. Increased investigative effort should also be directed toward the study of possible developmental changes in suprathreshold perception. Preferences for taste qualities should not be characterized in terms of averaged, positive or negative responses. Rather, individual functions relating degree of preference to tastant concentration should be examined. (4 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)

(C) 1981 by the American Psychological Association