Recognition of Nonexplicitly Presented Odors

Abstract

This research was designed to check to what extent naive subjects can recognize odors in a situation similar to those of daily life. The odors were presented nonexplicitly and without any warning to memorize them for a later recognition task. Different intensities of noise were used to verify whether these affect the olfactory recognition task by modifying arousal and check whether a situation made more unpleasant by a louder noise produces changes in subjects' evaluations of the pleasantness of the odors presented. Also, subjects' personality traits were measured on extraversion-introversion and self-monitoring questionnaires. The three odors (Eucalyptolus, linalile acetate, bornile acetate) were recognized just under 50% of the time and were recognized differently. The number of recognitions did not vary significantly by sex or noise conditions; the most intense noise affected only the number of false alarms. Pleasantness scores differed only among the different odors. High self-monitoring subjects tended to have fewer recognitions; scores on extraversion-introversion produced no significant effect.