Consumer Acceptance or Consumer Preference

Data drawn from studies designed to measure consumer acceptance or consumer preference are frequently misinterpreted simply because it is not clear which is being measured. It is necessary to know whether consumers can distinguish between alternatives before their preferences can be established. Consumer preference seeks the motivation for buying behavior; consumer acceptance records buying behavior. Discrimination tests are necessary prerequisites to intelligent preference studies, which in turn delimit the scope of acceptance studies. This paper suggests concise definitions of acceptance and preference that should reduce misinterpretation and faculty measurement