Proposal of a metric selection index for correspondence analysis: an application in the sensory evaluation of coffee blends

Abstract

Correspondence analysis is a multivariate dimensionality-reduction technique applied to data structured into contingency tables. The main outcome of this approach is the generation of perceptual maps aimed at the study of similarity between categorical levels. In most cases, interpretations of these similarities present subjectivity when different metrics are considered; e.g., Hellinger distance and Chi-square. Thus, in an attempt to minimize this subjectivity, the present study proposes an index that quantifies the shortest distance between those levels. A simulation study was undertaken in which the generated maps were discussed in relation to real data involving the similarity of blends formed by coffees of different species, with sensory evaluations considering the flavor and acidity attributes. In conclusion, the proposed index—named metric selection index (MSI)—made it possible to include a statistic that justifies the most suitable metric for correspondence analysis, thus preventing subjectivity in interpretations of similarities between blend types and grade classes. In the simulation studies, with the metric proposed by Hellinger distance, MSI showed stabler results regarding total inertia distribution on the first two axes.