Temporal Check All That Apply (TCATA)

Temporal Check All That Apply (TCATA)

Introduction

The Temporal Check All That Apply (TCATA) method builds upon the traditional CATA (Check All That Apply) question by introducing a dynamic element. It enables continuous selection and deselection of attributes based on their relevance to describing the sample. The format of the TCATA question aligns with that of a conventional CATA question. Panellists are instructed to identify and consistently update the attributes that are relevant to the sample in each moment, effectively monitoring the evolving sensations in the sample over time. Panellists have the flexibility to mark attributes whenever they are applicable and unmark attributes (or leave them unchecked) when they are not relevant. This approach allows assessors to select multiple attributes simultaneously, facilitating the description of sensations that may occur either sequentially or simultaneously.

Template Description

The template starts with a screen giving instructions to panellists. In the design section, the first screen has instructions, followed by a question where participants can start the TCATA task.
Panellists are presented with a list of attributes that can be selected or deselected once they click the "Start" button. Upon completing the evaluation, panellists can select "Stop" to conclude the evaluation. In the standard settings of the TCATA question type, customisation of the default options for the panellists is possible. To delete existing attribute options, you can select the bin icon. For adding more attributes you can type the attribute name and select the plus icon. The attribute word on the left side is what panellists see, while the one on the right side is the data-stored value. The word shown to panellists can be the same as the word stored in the value. Bulk addition of attributes is possible by selecting the list icon, pasting all attribute names, and clicking "Add item." For including both attribute names and values in bulk, type "Attribute Name | Attribute Value" (e.g., "Sweetness | sweetness").
Within the advanced settings of the TCATA question type, you can choose to set up different options.
  1. Orientation: Display the attributes horizontally, vertically or as a circle.
  2. Auto deselect: When this feature is enabled, panellists are relieved from the manual task of deselecting an attribute after selecting it; instead, the system will automatically perform the deselection after the duration specified in the "Auto deselect timer".
  3.  Auto deselect timer: The number of seconds after an attribute is automatically deselected if the "Auto deselect" functionality is enabled. 
  4. Time limit: When enabled, you have the option to establish a maximum duration for the evaluation process. In the "Show Timer" fields, you can display to panelists the allotted time for their assessment. In the "Max number of" section, you can specify the maximum duration allowed for the evaluation.
  5. Timer Countdown: Enable a countdown timer. Disabling this option will show a counter.
In the time settings, you can decide to display predefined messages to panellists at a specified time. You have the flexibility to display a maximum of 10 messages.
In the end screen, the template incorporates a thank-you message, providing an opportunity for you to personalise a final message for the panellists. 
In the design settings, you can check the way in which each panellist will receive the samples, with each set having a different presentation order for an individual panellist. In this template, by default three samples are presented in a monadic sequential, implying that all questions in the design section will be asked for each sample consecutively.
If you wish to include additional samples, you can achieve this by navigating to Design > Generate Design and modifying the number of samples. Subsequently, click on Generate Design to implement the changes.

Raw Data Representation

The raw data will be presented, where each row corresponds to a specific panellist and the respective sample presented to the panellist. The TCATA column will store the overall duration of the evaluation, while each attribute will have a dedicated column indicating the time interval during which the attribute was selected.

References

  1. Castura, J. C., Antúnez, L., Giménez, A., & Ares, G. (2016). Temporal Check-All-That-Apply (TCATA): A novel dynamic method for characterizing products. Food Quality and Preference, 47, 79-90.

    • Related Articles

    • Temporal Dominance of Sensation (TDS)

      Introduction The Temporal Dominance of Sensation (TDS) involves presenting the panellist with a comprehensive list of attributes. Subsequently, the panellist is tasked with identifying the dominant attribute, representing the most prominent ...

    • Check All That Apply (CATA)

      Introduction The "Check-All-That-Apply" (CATA) method is utilized in sensory evaluation to collect information regarding the sensory characteristics of a product. In this method, participants are presented with a predetermined list of sensory ...

    • Time Intensity (TI)

      Introduction A Time-Intensity (TI) method is a sensory evaluation technique used to assess the perceived intensity of a sensory attribute over a specific period, typically involving continuous measurements. Panelists are given a time-intensity ...

    • Rate All That Apply (RATA)

      Introduction Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) is an advanced sensory evaluation technique designed to efficiently capture sensory characteristics of products. As the name suggests, RATA asks panellists to select all relevant sensory attributes that apply ...

    • How To Check Inactive Users

      Inactive Users To keep your system clean you can manage inactive users, if you are a user manager. By going to Administration - System monitor - Inactive users: This overview contains the users that have never been logged in or have been inactive for ...