Common and Specific Effects of Fine Fragrances on the Mood of Women

Abstract

The effect of three pleasant fine women's fragrances on the mood of women was assessed. The three fragrances had similar hedonic values but different sensory characteristics. The fragrances elicited nonspecific effects on mood. All three fragrances’ impact on mood was influenced by initial mood and lasted up to three hours, i.e., as long as the scent was still noticeable. Trends revealed that all three fragrances decreased negative affect and increased vigor. Also, independent of their hedonic value, the three fragrances elicited specific mood patterns. With the “woody citrus coniferous” scent, respondents experienced higher hostility and tension. The “floral chypre citrus” fragrance decreased anger and confusion. The “floral woody” scent had the lowest Total Mood Disturbance score and lowered depression, tension and confusion.

Simulating Multisensory Wine Tasting Experience

“…Moreover, in the marketing research area many studies have been done on the use of smells and their properties. For example, odours can influence moods: while pleasant odours can induce positive moods, unpleasant odours can induce negative ones (Rétiveau et al, 2004). This property has been applied for eliciting positive moods in people.…”

Evaluating Industrial Products in an Innovative Visual-Olfactory Environment

“…The last part involved in the olfaction process is the limbic system, which is considered as the irrational and primitive part of the human brain. This part, together with the hippocampus, manages the unconscious and emotional components of perception and is responsible for the olfactory memory [1,2]. Consequently, a smell can evoke memories and responses unconsciously experienced by the users even before the smell is consciously recognized and measured.…”

“…The sense of smell has a great importance in our daily life, because it is devoted to acquire and interpret chemical signals in the environment and supports some basic biological functions, as dangers recognition and identification of food, and social communication [1]. Smell was the primary sense at the origin of humans (as it is for animals), but today humans use more the senses of vision and hearing, while the sense of smell is only used to characterize environments with pleasant smells, to improve the person's mood [2], and to communicate and elicit positive emotions in people [4].…”

Evaluating Industrial Products in an Innovative Visual-Olfactory Environment

“…Conversely, pleasant and unpleasant smells can impact on the subconscious, influencing people's feelings. So, smells can influence several aspects of humans' psychological state, such as people's mood [2], learning activities, and attention level [3], and can induce activation or relaxation states [4]. Moreover, smells are strictly linked with memory, both personal and collective [2].…”