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- Aiello, M, et al.
(författare)
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Cognitive, Olfactory, and Affective Determinants of Body Weight in Aging Individuals
- 2019
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Ingår i: Archives of clinical neuropsychology : the official journal of the National Academy of Neuropsychologists. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1873-5843. ; 34:5, s. 637-647
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ObjectiveA complex interplay of factors including cognitive, sensory and affective aspects has been associated in a controversial way with anthropometric measures related to body weight.MethodsHere we propose two studies to investigate whether and how cognitive, olfactory and affective variables resulted associated with body weight during healthy aging. In Study 1, we investigated the cognitive status, the odor identification skills, and the BMI of 209 individuals (50–96 yo). In Study 2 an extensive evaluation of cognitive functions (in particular executive functions and memory), odor threshold, discrimination and identification and affective skills (i.e., depression and anxiety) was performed in a group of 35 healthy, free-living aging individuals (58–85 yo).ResultsIn Study 1, greater BMI was not associated with performance on the odor identification task but was significantly associated with better cognitive skills. In Study 2, we observed that executive functions seemed to favor a successful managing of body weight, and individuals with greater BMI and waist circumference showed significantly better odor discrimination skills. Finally, lower waist circumference (but not BMI) was found significantly associated with greater levels of anxiety.ConclusionsThese results confirm that cognitive, olfactory and affective factors may influence body weight during healthy aging.
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| 2. |
- Cecchetto, C, et al.
(författare)
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Body odors (even when masked) make you more emotional: behavioral and neural insights
- 2019
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Ingår i: Scientific reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 9:1, s. 5489-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Morality evolved within specific social contexts that are argued to shape moral choices. In turn, moral choices are hypothesized to be affected by body odors as they powerfully convey socially-relevant information. We thus investigated the neural underpinnings of the possible body odors effect on the participants’ decisions. In an fMRI study we presented to healthy individuals 64 moral dilemmas divided in incongruent (real) and congruent (fake) moral dilemmas, using different types of harm (intentional: instrumental dilemmas, or inadvertent: accidental dilemmas). Participants were required to choose deontological or utilitarian actions under the exposure to a neutral fragrance (masker) or body odors concealed by the same masker (masked body odor). Smelling the masked body odor while processing incongruent (not congruent) dilemmas activates the supramarginal gyrus, consistent with an increase in prosocial attitude. When processing accidental (not instrumental) dilemmas, smelling the masked body odor activates the angular gyrus, an area associated with the processing of people’s presence, supporting the hypothesis that body odors enhance the saliency of the social context in moral scenarios. These results suggest that masked body odors can influence moral choices by increasing the emotional experience during the decision process, and further explain how sensory unconscious biases affect human behavior.
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| 3. |
- Cecchetto, C, et al.
(författare)
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Relative Contribution of Odour Intensity and Valence to Moral Decisions
- 2017
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Ingår i: Perception. - : SAGE Publications. - 1468-4233 .- 0301-0066. ; 46:3-4, s. 447-474
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Meta-analytic evidence showed that the chemical senses affect moral decisions. However, how odours impact on morality is currently unclear. Through a set of three studies, we assess whether and how odour intensity biases moral choices (Study 1a), its psychophysiological responses (Study 1b), as well as the behavioural and psychophysiological effects of odour valence on moral choices (Study 2). Study 1a suggests that the presence of an odour plays a role in shaping moral choice. Study 1b reveals that of two iso-pleasant versions of the same neutral odour, only the one presented sub-threshold (vs. supra-threshold) favours deontological moral choices, those based on the principle of not harming others even when such harm provides benefits. As expected, this odour intensity effect is tracked by skin conductance responses, whereas no difference in cardiac activity – proxy for the valence dimension – is revealed. Study 2 suggests that the same neutral odour presented sub-threshold increases deontological choices even when compared to iso-intense ambiguous odour, perceived as pleasant or unpleasant by half of the participants, respectively. Skin conductance responses, as expected, track odour pleasantness, but cardiac activity fails to do so. Results are discussed in the context of mechanisms alternative to disgust induction underlying moral choices.
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