Time-intensity report
The panel-average intensity-vs-time curve and its AUC, I max, and T max metrics as mean ± standard deviation.
What it is
The time-intensity report is the output of an advanced test in which the panel records how a sensation evolves over time instead of giving it a single score. In chocolate making it serves to study how a bitterness, an astringency, or an aroma note builds and fades in the mouth, second by second.
The report presents one curve per sample: the horizontal axis is labeled Time (s) and the vertical one, Intensity, with the key metrics for each curve. The curve you see is the panel average —the second-by-second mean of every panelist who evaluated that sample—, not the one from a single evaluator.
How to get there
- URL:
https://app.areacacao.com/sensory-analysis/evaluations/<id> - How to reach it: open the time-intensity tasting in Evaluations and scroll down to the Results section.
Pro plan and above. It is an advanced test, designed for a trained panel.
What the report shows
For each sample you'll see its average curve and five metrics:
| Metric | What it means |
|---|---|
| AUC | Area under the curve. The total magnitude of the stimulus across the whole session: how much sensation, summed over time, the sample generated. |
| I max | Peak intensity. The highest point the sensation reached. |
| T max | Time of peak. At which second that peak intensity was reached. |
| T onset | Onset time. At which second the sensation began to be perceived. |
| Duration | How long the sensation stayed perceptible, from start to finish. |
Each metric is reported as mean ± standard deviation across the panelists who evaluated the sample: the central value is the panel average and the standard deviation tells you how far apart the evaluators were from one another. The report also indicates the number of panelists (n) aggregated into the average curve, so you know how many evaluations the average was computed over.
On the curve, the shaded area represents the AUC and a point marks I max at its T max.
Literal caption of the chart:
The shaded area represents the AUC (total magnitude of the stimulus). The point marks I max (peak intensity) at its T max (time of peak).
How to interpret it
- A late T max indicates that the sensation takes time to appear (typical of aromas that develop as the chocolate melts in the mouth).
- A high AUC with a moderate I max describes a persistent, sustained sensation; a low AUC with a high I max describes a brief, intense peak.
- Comparing the curves of two samples reveals differences in dynamics that a single score would never capture: two chocolates can have the same average bitterness intensity and yet one hits immediately while the other builds slowly.
- Check the standard deviation of each metric before concluding: an AUC with a large deviation means your panelists perceived the sample very differently from one another, and the reading should be qualified. A low n (few panelists aggregated) also calls for caution: the average curve rests on few evaluations.