Ambient odor's effect on creativity, mood, and perceived health

Abstract

In two sessions held 1 week apart, subjects completed a performance task involving creativity, four personality tests, and questionnaires concerning their mood, perceived health, and perceptions of the testing environment. In one session the testing room was scented with lemon, lavender or dimethyl sulfide (DMS); in the other session it was unscented. There were 15 women and 15 men in each odor conditon. Fewer health symptoms were reported in the lemon conditon on scented compared to unscented days. Subjects in the DMS group were in a less pleasant mood than those in the lavender group on both scented and unscented days; the order in which subjects were exposed to DMS played a role in the mood findings. There were no significant differences in feelings of arousal or control. The room was rated as smelling less pleasant on scented compared to unscented days by subjects in the DMS condition. Differences in creativity performance were not significant, but relationships emerged between personality traits and the effect of odor on task performance. These findings are discussed in terms of how associations and expectations concerning odors may play a role in odor's effect on humans.