Mapping the semantic space for the subjective experience of emotional responses to odors

Publication Type:

Journal Article

Authors:

Chrea, C.; Grandjean, D.; Delplanque, S.; Cayeux, I.; Le Calvé, B.; Aymard, L.; Velazco, M. I.; Sander, D.; Scherer, K. R.

Source:

Chemical Senses, Volume 34, Issue 1, p.49-62 (2009)

Keywords:

olfaction; odor; taste; emotion; feelings; affective experience; psychometric approach

Abstract:

Two studies were conducted to examine the nature of the verbal labels that describe emotional effects elicited by odors. In Study 1, a list of terms selected for their relevance to describe affective feelings induced by odors was assessed while participants were exposed to a set of odorant samples. The data were submitted to a series of exploratory factor analyses to (1) reduce the set of variables to a smaller set of summary scales and (2) get a preliminary sense of the differentiation of affective feelings elicited by odors. The goal of Study 2 was to replicate the findings of Study 1 with a larger sample of odorant samples and participants and to validate the preliminary model obtained in Study 1 by using confirmatory factor analysis. Overall, the findings point to a structure of affective responses to odors that differs from the classical taxonomies of emotion such as posited by discrete or bi-dimensional emotion theories. These findings suggest that the subjective affective experiences or feelings induced by odors are structured around a small group of dimensions that reflect the role of olfaction in well-being, social interaction, danger prevention, arousal or relaxation sensations, and conscious recollection of emotional memories.