Determination of the consensus partition and cluster analysis of subjects in a free sorting task experiment

• Published in: Food quality and preference Vol. 32; pp. 107 - 112
• Main Authors: Courcoux, Ph, Faye, P., Qannari, E.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adjusted Rand index; algorithms; case studies; Chemical and Process Engineering; cluster analysis; Clustering; Consensus partition; Engineering Sciences; Food engineering; Free sorting; Life Sciences; odors; Partitions; Rand index; wines; Partitions; Consensus partition; Clustering; Rand index; Free sorting; Adjusted Rand index
• ISSN: 0950-3293; 1873-6343
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2013.05.004

•We advocate using Adjusted Rand index as a measure of similarity between partitions given by subjects in a free sorting task.•A technique for determining a consensus partition is proposed.•The problem of segmenting subjects is tackled and a strategy based on Adjusted Rand index is described.•The clustering technique is applied to the free sorting of wine aromas by a panel of subjects. The purpose of this study is to investigate the problem of clustering subjects in a free sorting task. We compare different measures of agreement between partitions. From a simulation study, we advocate using the Adjusted Rand index. On the basis of this index, we propose a technique for determining a consensus partition as a summary of the initial partitions given by the subjects after a categorization task. Thereafter, the problem of clustering the subjects is explored. For this purpose, a method combining hierarchical clustering and a partitioning algorithm is described. These techniques are applied to a case study of the perception of wine aromas by a panel of subjects.