Experiment protocol: Exploring the sense of smell in digital book reading

Abstract

This paper outlines the background and design, and their rationale, for conducting a small-scale experiment to examine the effect of olfactory stimulation on children's reading outcomes. The theoretical underpinnings of the study and its significance for the reading field are outlined, followed by a detailed description of the study procedure, design, measures, and instruments. Sixty-six Norwegian children will be recruited to participate in shared book reading sessions with a specially designed digital olfactory book. We test the hypothesis that olfactory-enhanced reading increases children's engagement in the reading activity and through this engagement, will increase their vocabulary learning, story recall, and overall interest in reading and smell. The study has important implications for children's reading, olfaction media research, and design studies.