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

  • Aleksandra Reichert - , Uniwersytet Wrocławski (Autor:in)
  • Nixon M. Abraham - , Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune (Autor:in)
  • Jancy N. Abraham - , Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune, Shiv Nadar University (Autor:in)
  • Maria Laura Albanese - , Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (Autor:in)
  • Rafieh Alizadeh - , Iran University of Medical Sciences (Autor:in)
  • Ines Aloulou - , Université de Tunis El Manar (Autor:in)
  • Lixin Chen - , Southern Medical University (Autor:in)
  • Catherine Dziri - , Université de Tunis El Manar (Autor:in)
  • Ma Lourdes Berioso Enecilla - , St. Luke's Medical Center Quezon City (Autor:in)
  • Marco Aurélio Fornazieri - , Université de Tunis El Manar, Universidade Estadual de Londrina (Autor:in)
  • Johannes Frasnelli - , Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (Autor:in)
  • Juan Martin Fuselli - , Hospital Naval Dr. Pedro Mallo (Autor:in)
  • Fatima Gansatao - , East Avenue Medical Center (Autor:in)
  • Cagdas Guducu - , Dokuz Eylul University (Autor:in)
  • Anna Kristina Hernandez - , Klinik und Poliklinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Philippine General Hospital (Autor:in)
  • Marlise K. Hofer - , University of Victoria BC (Autor:in)
  • Salina Husain - , Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (Autor:in)
  • Reda Kamel - , Cairo University (Autor:in)
  • Natália Medeiros Dias Lopes - , GEM - Centro de Excelência em Pesquisa, Ensino e Atenção à Saúde (Autor:in)
  • Francesco Loy - , Università degli Studi di Cagliari (Autor:in)
  • Mehmet K. Mahmut - , Macquarie University (Autor:in)
  • Daniel Marek - , Uniwersytet Wrocławski (Autor:in)
  • Carla Masala - , Università degli Studi di Cagliari (Autor:in)
  • Élizabeth Michaluk - , Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (Autor:in)
  • Imen Miri - , Université de Tunis El Manar (Autor:in)
  • Marjan Mirsalehi - , Iran University of Medical Sciences (Autor:in)
  • Anasuha Musa - , Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (Autor:in)
  • Keigo Nakaachi - , Nippon Medical School (Autor:in)
  • Michał Pieniak - , Macquarie University (Autor:in)
  • Jayant M. Pinto - , Pritzker School of Medicine (Autor:in)
  • Patricia Portillo Mazal - , Hospital Naval Dr. Pedro Mallo (Autor:in)
  • Ahmed Radwan - , Cairo University (Autor:in)
  • Farhad Rafiei - , Iran University of Medical Sciences (Autor:in)
  • Devesh Rawat - , Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune (Autor:in)
  • Henrique O. Scussiatto - , Pritzker School of Medicine (Autor:in)
  • Hozifa Alsaid Sheta - , Cairo University (Autor:in)
  • Michal Mikolaj Stefanczyk - , Macquarie University, Wyższa Szkoła Kształcenia Zawodowego (Autor:in)
  • Sharanya M. Thodupunoori - , Pritzker School of Medicine (Autor:in)
  • Brianna J. Turner - , University of Victoria BC (Autor:in)
  • Hangying Wu - , Southern Medical University (Autor:in)
  • Ayaho Yoshino - , Nippon Medical School (Autor:in)
  • Laiquan Zou - , Southern Medical University (Autor:in)
  • Barbara Zyzelewicz - , Uniwersytet Wrocławski (Autor:in)
  • Gregory N. Bratman - , University of Washington (Autor:in)
  • Thomas Hummel - , Klinik und Poliklinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Autor:in)
  • Anna Oleszkiewicz - , Klinik und Poliklinik für Hals-Nasen-Ohrenheilkunde, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Uniwersytet Wrocławski (Autor:in)

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

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Aufsatznummer103238
FachzeitschriftJournal of environmental psychology
Jahrgang116
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - Dez. 2026
Peer-Review-StatusJa

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