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Olfaction and Human Social Behavior

Effects of a Pleasant Scent on Attraction and Social Perception

National Science Foundation and Purdue University

A total of 94 undergraduate males participated in an experiment designed to examine the impact of a pleasant scent (perfume) on interpersonal attraction and social perception. Subjects met and interacted briefly with one of two female confederates who either wore perfume or did not, and who were dressed either neatly (in a blouse, skirt, and hose) or informally (in jeans and a sweatshirt). Results indicated that the presence of a pleasant scent increased attraction toward the confederates and produced positive shifts in perceptions of several of their traits when they were dressed informally. When the confederates dressed in a neater manner, however, opposite effects were observed. These findings were interpreted as stemming from the fact that subjects reacted more favorably to the confederates when they appeared to be intermediate rather than high or low along a dimension of informality-formality.

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