Beyond self-report measures of arousal: A new priming task to capture activation of relaxing and energizing feelings elicited by odors

Abstract

The Olfactory Priming Task (OPT) is a new implicit measure developed to capture associations between odors and feeling-related words that was inspired by previous priming techniques. Participants are presented with feeling-related words and asked to categorize them as “relaxing” or “energizing” as quickly and accurately as possible, while supposedly relaxing or stimulating odors are delivered as a prime. Accuracy and response times are recorded, and participants are expected to react faster and more accurately with feeling-related words that are congruent with the primed odor. We validated the OPT in two experiments with the use of menthol/vanillin and fine fragrances, respectively. Results indicated that the OPT could discriminate odors from their relaxing/energizing properties, with participants showing faster responses to energizing-related words after priming with menthol or “Perfume 1” and to relaxing-related words after priming with vanillin or “Perfume 2.” These associations were further confirmed by subjective reports, with participants rating menthol and Perfume 1 as more energizing and vanillin and Perfume 2 as more relaxing. The results suggest that exposure to relaxing/energizing odors activates congruent feelings in consumers. The results also demonstrate the validity and reliability of the OPT as an implicit measure for capturing associations between odors and feeling-related words, making it a valuable tool for measuring consumers' affective response to flavors and fragrances.