Abstract
Measurements of the frequency and speed of spitting or swallowing citric acid, sodium saccharin, or mixture solutions, using the taste of one of them as the definition of what was to be spit, revealed that ‘correct’ spits occurred on ≥70% of trials with equal reliability and latency among the liquids, indicating that recognition-based rejection decisions in adult humans are as rapid and consistent for an arbitrary sweet taste as for a sour or mixed taste.
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Acknowledgments. K. M. Dorries, R. E. Johnston, and C. L. Krumhansl provided critical comments; R. B. Darlington, statistical consultation; the anonymous referees, encouragement for a better analysis. Study supported by grant BNS-8518865 from NSF and the Pew Undergraduate Program in Science Education.
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Delconte, J.D., Kelling, S.T. & Halpern, B.P. Speed and consistency of human decisions to swallow or spit sweet and sour solutions. Experientia 48, 1106–1109 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01947998
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01947998