Effects of negative affectivity and odor valence on chemosensory and symptom perception and perceived ability to focus on a cognitive task

• The aim was to gain understanding for the impact of negative affectivity (NA) and odor valanceon perceptual aspects during low-level odorous exposure. Fifty-five young adults who were eitherrelatively low or high in NA (anxiety, depression, and somatization) were randomized forexposure to either limonene (pleasant odor) or pyridine (unpleasant odor). In an exposurechamber, they took part in baseline, blank and stable exposure sessions, during which theyrated odor intensity, impact on ability to focus on an imagined cognitive task, and intensity ofsymptoms. The results showed higher ratings of negative impact on ability to focus duringexposure to the unpleasant odor compared with the pleasant odor, and an association betweenNA and symptom intensity, with 18% of the variance in symptom intensity explainedby somatization. The association between NA and symptom intensity was found to be drivenby the factor sex. These results imply (a) that prior findings of odorous exposure that interferenegatively with work performance may be due to impact of an unpleasant odor on ability to focuson cognitive tasks and (b) that there are associations between NA, sex, and symptoms that maypartly be referred to attentiveness to and interpretation of bodily sensations.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

anxiety

depression

human exposure

olfaction

pleasantness

somatization

Health-Promoting Work

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ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)