Odors count globally: an exploratory study on the number of conscious odor perceptions across 19 locations on five continents
Publikation: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift › Forschungsartikel › Beigetragen › Begutachtung
Beitragende
Abstract
People around the world perceive odors in similar ways; however, it remains unclear whether they are equally aware of those present in the ambient air. Previous research on odor awareness has predominantly relied on self-report measures that may be prone to recall bias. To address this, we conducted a large-scale, global study to develop a comprehensive, multilevel model that would explain the variability in the frequency of conscious odor perception across geographic regions, measured through both self-declaration and behaviorally. Our model incorporates both individual and location-related factors to predict odor counts. The study involved specialized chemosensory laboratories in 19 locations across 18 countries and a full sample of 971 participants. Primary analyses were conducted on the full sample, with additional sensitivity analyses performed on a restricted subsample of 549 participants. For the first time at a global scale, we employed a behavioral measure of odor awareness based on odor counting performed 24 h after the testing session. Our results revealed that location accounted for 13.1% of the variability in odor counts, while individual participant characteristics explained an additional 4.4%. Self-assessed odor awareness significantly predicted the number of consciously perceived odors; however, age, gender, and chemosensory sensitivity were not associated with odor counts. This study provides the first global-scale exploration of variability in behavioral odor awareness.
Details
| Originalsprache | Englisch |
|---|---|
| Aufsatznummer | 103238 |
| Fachzeitschrift | Journal of environmental psychology |
| Jahrgang | 116 |
| Publikationsstatus | Veröffentlicht - Dez. 2026 |
| Peer-Review-Status | Ja |
Externe IDs
| ORCID | /0000-0001-9713-0183/work/231458406 |
|---|---|
| ORCID | /0000-0001-6711-7359/work/231458850 |
Schlagworte
ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete
- Sozialpsychologie - Cross-cultural differences, Individual differences, Olfaction, Olfactory awareness, Olfactory metacognition, Olfactory perception
- Angewandte Psychologie - Cross-cultural differences, Individual differences, Olfaction, Olfactory awareness, Olfactory metacognition, Olfactory perception
Schlagwörter
- Cross-cultural differences, Individual differences, Olfaction, Olfactory awareness, Olfactory metacognition, Olfactory perception