** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** ASSESSING PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES AND CONSUMER LIKING OF NEW PROTOTYPES IS CRUCIAL TO PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT. DESPITE POSITIVE CONSUMER DATA, NEARLY 80% OF NEW LAUNCHES IN THE GROCERY SECTOR FAIL, COSTING MANUFACTURERS BILLIONS OF DOLLARS. IN THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY, PANELISTS ARE OFTEN ASKED TO PERFORM SENSORY EVALUATION AND CONSUMER LIKING TESTS IN STERILE SENSORY BOOTHS, DEVOID OF CONTEXTUAL CUES. HOWEVER, CONTEXT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCE, AND IT SIGNIFICANTLY INFLUENCES PERCEPTION, LIKING, AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOR. THIS PROPOSAL SEEKS TO REINTRODUCE CONTEXTUAL INFORMATION INTO SENSORY AND CONSUMER TESTING METHODOLOGIES WITH THE GOAL OF IMPROVING THE RELIABILITY AND DISCRIMINABILITY OF SENSORY AND CONSUMER TESTING METHODOLOGIES. THE OUTCOMES OF THIS RESEARCH ARE FAR-REACHING AND WILL IMPACT NEARLY ALL NEW INNOVATIONS AIMED TO IMPROVE FOOD QUALITY. BY UTILIZING IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGIES, WE AIM TO RESTORE THE COMPLEX ENVIRONMENTAL CUES THAT ARE CRUCIAL FOR SHAPING THE PERCEPTUAL AND HEDONIC RESPONSES TO FOOD. TO THIS END, WE WILL DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH PRODUCT LIKING AND CHOICE ARE INFLUENCED BY CONTEXT. AS EATING IS OFTEN A SOCIAL ENDEAVOR, WE WILL ALSO QUANTIFY THE INFLUENCE OF VIRTUAL SOCIAL INTERACTIONS ON CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOR AND PRODUCT LIKING IN IMMERSIVE SETTINGS. FINALLY, WE WILL DELINEATE THE EFFECT OF PERSONALIZED CONTEXT ON PRODUCT PERCEPTION AND LIKING. IMPROVING THE PREDICTIVE POWER OF SENSORY AND CONSUMER DATA WILL ENABLE BETTER-INFORMED PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS, LEADING TO MORE SUCCESSFUL LAUNCHES, SIGNIFICANT COST SAVINGS, AND REDUCED WASTE BY BETTER MEETING CONSUMER NEEDS.