Gustatory quality changes as a function of solution concentration

Four selected female Ss were instructed to respond with the qualities of either bitter, salty, sour, sweet, or no taste to solutions of LiCl, KCl, Li₂SO₄, or K₂SO₄ which varied in concentration from 0.0040 to 0.050 M for the first two salts, and 0.0020 to 0.025 F for the last two. Mean percentages of each quality, with sweet combined with the no taste response, when plotted against concentration, gave functions in which one quality predominated within a given concentration range. This quality was superseded by another over a higher concentration range. These results are explained in terms of an inhibition phenomenon.