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From: jer@peora.UUCP (J. Eric Roskos)
Newsgroups: net.misc.coke
Subject: Re: Taste Test
Message-ID: <1462@peora.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 9-Aug-85 08:22:44 EDT
Article-I.D.: peora.1462
Posted: Fri Aug  9 08:22:44 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 14-Aug-85 22:21:08 EDT
References: <55@tekchips.UUCP>
Organization: Perkin-Elmer SDC, Orlando, Fl.
Lines: 44

> In order to broadcast their taste test commercials, I'm sure that Pepsi had
> to use a very large sample of the population ...

I don't think this is true, unless the commercials claim a large sample was
taken.  Consider similar "statistical" claims in commercials:

	"More doctors recommend the pain reliever in  than any other
	 pain reliever on the market today."

(Because  contains aspirin.  Even if no doctors recommend ,
the claim is still valid.)

	"More Olympic medalists use  running shoes than any other."

(Because  donates them.  I'm not sure, however, that this sort of
claim is allowed any more.)

	"Choosy mothers choose ."

(Makes no statistical claim at all.)

	"9 out of 10 dentists surveyed recommend  for their patients
	 who use ."

(The sample size here could be 10; furthermore, all of them could have said,
"I don't recommend using  at all, but I guess if people insist
on using it,  would be a good choice.")

Awhile back, I asked in here about the relative temperature of the sodas in
the Pepsi taste test.  This is because, back when the test was going on, a
number of people at the college I was attending participated in the test;
all of them INSISTED that the Pepsi had ice in it, whereas the Coke was
room-temperature.  I have never figured out whether this was just a rampant
rumor, or the truth in all cases, or just the local people running the
taste test trying to improve the results.  (You should therefore assume it
was a rumor unless you can determine otherwise!)
-- 
Shyy-Anzr:  J. Eric Roskos
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