Children are quite able to recognise flavours, sweetness levels and other concrete product attributes with relative ease. More conceptual attributes are more difficult. If scales are too subtle, children become bored with a task which is “too hard” and which they do not understand. Pictures need to convey a clear idea of what is being measured.
However, there are many product attributes which we want to measure and that are much more conceptual in nature and more difficult to convey through pictures. How do you do it? In my case, mostly by trialling inspired guesswork from my designer and seeing whether the “lights turn on” for young respondents. In one-on-one interviews with very young children, it is easy to see if they have “got it” or not.
This Caramel/Toffee scale has doubled for Chewiness and this piece of design inspiration has worked well as a Stickiness scale. In this area, scales tend to “really work well” or “really bomb out”.
However, this scale really never worked.
It was developed to measure the heating-cooling effect of menthol in a toothpaste and the kids looked as blank as you are feeling reading this. I am sure that an effective scale could be developed, but for me it was a failure I had to accept and move on to the next product test.
Brilliant Reflections/Consumer Research Specialists 