In sensory testing, which of the following best describes an open-ended question?

An open-ended question is defined by its ability to allow respondents to express thoughts and feelings in their own words, providing a range of personal responses. This format encourages a more in-depth understanding of the respondent's perspectives, rather than steering them towards a specific predetermined answer. In sensory testing, open-ended questions are especially valuable as they can elicit detailed descriptions about experiences, perceptions, and preferences, thereby yielding rich qualitative data that can be analyzed for insights into sensory attributes.

In contrast, other types of questions restrict the participant's responses. For instance, specific answer choices limit the respondent to predefined options, and numerical input questions constrain answers to quantifiable data only, which may miss the nuances of individual experiences. Additionally, questions that allow no room for elaboration fail to capture the complexity of a person's sensory evaluation and understanding.