Effects of unpleasant odors on emotion recognition: The right hemisphere and valence-specific hypotheses

Stanković, Milena; Nešić, Milkica; Milić, Jana

doi:10.2298/psi190704019s

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Pictures of faces were presented in the left or right visual fields while participants were exposed to an unpleasant odor in the left or right nostril. Participants were faster at recognizing faces overall in the left visual field (right hemisphere) during exposure to the odor in the right nostril (right hemisphere), indicating a cross-modal confluence in the right hemisphere resulted in a processing speed advantage; however, the study had no neutral control condition, so it is possible that the arousing effect of the odor, irrespective of its valence, improved processing of faces in the stimulated hemisphere (Stankovic et al, 2020). The right-hemisphere effect is consistent with results from our team that the face-sensitive N170 ERP component is more prominent in the right hemisphere; furthermore, our study showed that the responsivity of the N170 to disgusted faces is enhanced by an unpleasant odor (Syrj€ anen et al, 2018).…”

Section: Odor Effects On the Processing Of Face Stimulimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some studies have also presented stimuli in the left and right visual fields. In Stankovic et al (2020), participants performed an emotion classification task on neutral or happy, surprised, fearful, angry, disgusted, and sad facial expressions. Pictures of faces were presented in the left or right visual fields while participants were exposed to an unpleasant odor in the left or right nostril.…”

Section: Odor Effects On the Processing Of Face Stimulimentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Review of the Effects of Valenced Odors on Face Perception and Evaluation

Syrjänen¹,

Fischer

Liuzza

et al. 2021

i-Perception

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How do valenced odors affect the perception and evaluation of facial expressions? We reviewed 25 studies published from 1989 to 2020 on cross-modal behavioral effects of odors on the perception of faces. The results indicate that odors may influence facial evaluations and classifications in several ways. Faces are rated as more arousing during simultaneous odor exposure, and the rated valence of faces is affected in the direction of the odor valence. For facial classification tasks, in general, valenced odors, whether pleasant or unpleasant, decrease facial emotion classification speed. The evidence for valence congruency effects was inconsistent. Some studies found that exposure to a valenced odor facilitates the processing of a similarly valenced facial expression. The results for facial evaluation were mirrored in classical conditioning studies, as faces conditioned with valenced odors were rated in the direction of the odor valence. However, the evidence of odor effects was inconsistent when the task was to classify faces. Furthermore, using a z-curve analysis, we found clear evidence for publication bias. Our recommendations for future research include greater consideration of individual differences in sensation and cognition, individual differences (e.g., differences in odor sensitivity related to age, gender, or culture), establishing standardized experimental assessments and stimuli, larger study samples, and embracing open research practices.

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Section: Odor Effects On the Processing Of Face Stimulimentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Odor Effects On the Processing Of Face Stimulimentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of the Effects of Valenced Odors on Face Perception and Evaluation

Syrjänen¹,

Fischer

Liuzza

et al. 2021

i-Perception

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Section: Odor Effects On the Processing Of Face Stimulimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some studies have also presented stimuli in the left and right visual fields. In (Stankovic, Nesic, & Milic, 2020), participants performed an emotion classification task on neutral or happy, surprised, fearful, angry, disgusted, and sad facial expressions.…”

Section: Odor Effects On the Processing Of Face Stimulimentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of the effects of valenced odors on face perception and evaluation

Syrjänen¹,

Fischer²,

Liuzza³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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How do valenced odors affect the perception and evaluation of facial expressions? We reviewed 25 studies published from 1995 to 2020 on cross-modal effects between olfaction and facial perception. The results indicate that odors may influence facial evaluations and classifications in several ways. Faces are rated as more arousing during simultaneous odor exposure, and the rated valence of faces is affected in the direction of the odor valence. For facial classification tasks, in general, valenced odors, whether pleasant or unpleasant, decrease facial emotion classification speed. The evidence for valence congruency effects was inconsistent. Few studies found that exposure to a valenced odor facilitates the processing of a similarly valenced facial expression. The results for facial evaluation were mirrored in classical conditioning studies. Faces conditioned with valenced odors were rated in the direction of the odor valence. However, the evidence was inconsistent in facial classification tasks in this literature. Although the research shows some clear patterns, other effects are mixed. Our future research recommendations include greater consideration of individual differences in sensation and cognition, individual differences (e.g., differences in odor sensitivity related to age, gender, or culture), establishing standardized experimental assessments and stimuli, larger study samples, and embracing open research practices.

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“…So, for example, Leppänen and Hietanen reported that their participants were able to recognize disgusted facial expressions more rapidly in an unpleasant odour context while happy expressions were recognized more rapidly in a pleasant odour context instead. The presence of pleasant versus unpleasant odours have also been shown to result in the enhanced recognition of both disgusted and happy facial expressions (Seubert et al, 2010b ; see also Li et al, 2020 ; Stankovic et al, 2020 , who presented isovaleric acid). Using functional MRI, Seubert et al ( 2010a ) were able to demonstrate that the processing of disgusted faces was facilitated by the prior presentation of odour primes.…”

Section: The Influence Of Odour On Person Perceptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The scent of attraction and the smell of success: crossmodal influences on person perception

Spence

2021

Cogn. Research

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In recent decades, there has been an explosion of research into the crossmodal influence of olfactory cues on multisensory person perception. Numerous peer-reviewed studies have documented that a variety of olfactory stimuli, from ambient malodours through to fine fragrances, and even a range of chemosensory body odours can influence everything from a perceiver’s judgments of another person’s attractiveness, age, affect, health/disease status, and even elements of their personality. The crossmodal and multisensory contributions to such effects are reviewed and the limitations/peculiarities of the research that have been published to date are highlighted. At the same time, however, it is important to note that the presence of scent (and/or the absence of malodour) can also influence people’s (i.e., a perceiver’s) self-confidence which may, in turn, affect how attractive they appear to others. Several potential cognitive mechanisms have been put forward to try and explain such crossmodal/multisensory influences, and some of the neural substrates underpinning these effects have now been characterized. At the end of this narrative review, a number of the potential (and actual) applications for, and implications of, such crossmodal/multisensory phenomena involving olfaction are outlined briefly.

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Effects of unpleasant odors on emotion recognition: The right hemisphere and valence-specific hypotheses

Cited by 5 publications

References 50 publications

A Review of the Effects of Valenced Odors on Face Perception and Evaluation

A Review of the Effects of Valenced Odors on Face Perception and Evaluation

A review of the effects of valenced odors on face perception and evaluation

The scent of attraction and the smell of success: crossmodal influences on person perception

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