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The social odor scale: Development and initial validation of a new scale for the assessment of social odor awareness. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260587. [PMID: 34905551 PMCID: PMC8670672 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The degree of attention individuals pay to olfactory cues (called odor awareness) influences the role of odors in everyday life. Particularly, odors produced by the human body (i.e., social odors) are able to carry a wide variety of information and to elicit a broad spectrum of emotional reactions, making them essential in interpersonal relationships. Hence, despite the assessment of awareness toward social odors is crucial, a proper tool is still lacking. Here, we designed and initially validated the Social Odor Scale (SOS), a 12-item scale designed to measure the individual differences in awareness towards different social odors. In Study 1, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA; KMO test: MSA = 0.78; Bartlett's test: χ2(78) = 631.34, p < 0.001; Chi-squared test: χ2(42) = 71.84, p = 0.003) suggests that the three factors structure was the model that best fit with the Italian version of the scale. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supports a second-order model with one higher-order factor representing social odor awareness in general and three lower-order factors representing familiar, romantic partner, and stranger social odors. The final version of the scale presented a good fit (RMSEA = 0.012, SRMR = 0.069, CFI = 0.998, TLI = 0.997). In Study 2, CFA was performed in the German version of the scale confirming the validity of scale structure. Study 3 and 4 revealed that SOS total score and its subscales were positively correlated with other validated olfactory scales, but not with olfactory abilities. Moreover, SOS was found to be related to the gender of the participants: women reported to be more aware to social odors and, specifically, to familiar social odors than men. Overall, the results indicated that SOS is a valid and reliable instrument to assess awareness toward social odors in everyday life.
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Abstract
Abstract
Introduction
Research has provided evidence for the transfer of single emotions including anger, anxiety and happiness through olfactory chemosignals, yet no work has examined the role of odour function in the aggregation of more complex emotional states or in the emotional contagion process. The aim of the present study was to ascertain whether an individual’s tendency to experience emotional aggregation was affected by objective measures of their olfactory function and subjective self-assessments of the importance of their own olfactory system.
Methods
In this study (N = 70), participant pairs were first assessed individually for olfactory threshold and odour identification, then completed the Importance of Olfaction Questionnaire. Each pair subsequently took part in two collaborative tasks. Individual emotion measures were taken before, during and after the completion of the two tasks.
Results
Multilevel structural equation modelling revealed that individuals’ within-dyad positive emotional agreement scores were associated with both their ‘importance of olfaction’ scores and their olfactory function. A significant association was also found between olfactory performance and the Importance of Olfaction scores.
Conclusions
These results provide evidence that the subjective importance an individual assigns to their sense of smell can predict their susceptibility to experience emotional aggregation during active, collaborative tasks.
Implications
The findings suggest that individuals’ tendency and capability to detect and respond to emotional chemosignals, a process required for olfactory-facilitated emotional contagion, may be affected by individual differences in olfactory function and subjective attitudes toward olfaction.
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de Groot JHB, Croijmans I, Smeets MAM. More Data, Please: Machine Learning to Advance the Multidisciplinary Science of Human Sociochemistry. Front Psychol 2020; 11:581701. [PMID: 33192899 PMCID: PMC7642605 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.581701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Communication constitutes the core of human life. A large portion of our everyday social interactions is non-verbal. Of the sensory modalities we use for non-verbal communication, olfaction (i.e., the sense of smell) is often considered the most enigmatic medium. Outside of our awareness, smells provide information about our identity, emotions, gender, mate compatibility, illness, and potentially more. Yet, body odors are astonishingly complex, with their composition being influenced by various factors. Is there a chemical basis of olfactory communication? Can we identify molecules predictive of psychological states and traits? We propose that answering these questions requires integrating two disciplines: psychology and chemistry. This new field, coined sociochemistry, faces new challenges emerging from the sheer amount of factors causing variability in chemical composition of body odorants on the one hand (e.g., diet, hygiene, skin bacteria, hormones, genes), and variability in psychological states and traits on the other (e.g., genes, culture, hormones, internal state, context). In past research, the reality of these high-dimensional data has been reduced in an attempt to isolate unidimensional factors in small, homogenous samples under tightly controlled settings. Here, we propose big data approaches to establish novel links between chemical and psychological data on a large scale from heterogeneous samples in ecologically valid settings. This approach would increase our grip on the way chemical signals non-verbally and subconsciously affect our social lives across contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper H. B. de Groot
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Ilja Croijmans
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Monique A. M. Smeets
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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Calvi E, Quassolo U, Massaia M, Scandurra A, D'Aniello B, D'Amelio P. The scent of emotions: A systematic review of human intra- and interspecific chemical communication of emotions. Brain Behav 2020; 10:e01585. [PMID: 32212329 PMCID: PMC7218249 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 01/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The sense of olfaction has been considered of minor importance in human communication. In recent years, evidence has emerged that humans might be influenced by unconscious messages sent through chemosignals in body odors. Data concerning the ability of humans to recognize fear, maybe related to the evolutionary role of these emotions in the fight-or-flight reactions, are well known. METHODS To further understand the role of emotional chemosignals in mediating communication in humans and its influence on animal behaviors, we conducted a systematic literature review. RESULTS Chemosignals derived from axillary odors collected under a variety of emotional stimuli and sad tears in humans affect receivers' social interactions, danger detection and risk-taking behavior, social aspects of eating, and performance under stressing conditions. In addition, beyond the fight-or-flight response, even the body odors of happiness can be perceived by others. Furthermore, human chemosignals can influence behaviors and stressful responses in animals, particularly dogs and horses, which may partially explain their special relationship with humans. CONCLUSION Our review highlights the importance of chemosignaling in human intra- and interspecific interactions and suggests the need for further investigations, both in physiological conditions and in patients with psychiatric or neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Calvi
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Umberto Quassolo
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Anna Scandurra
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Biagio D'Aniello
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Patrizia D'Amelio
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.,Department of Medicine, Geriatric Medicine and Geriatric Rehabilitation, CHUV, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Smeets MA, Rosing EA, Jacobs DM, van Velzen E, Koek JH, Blonk C, Gortemaker I, Eidhof MB, Markovitch B, de Groot J, Semin GR. Chemical Fingerprints of Emotional Body Odor. Metabolites 2020; 10:E84. [PMID: 32121157 PMCID: PMC7142800 DOI: 10.3390/metabo10030084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemical communication is common among animals. In humans, the chemical basis of social communication has remained a black box, despite psychological and neural research showing distinctive physiological, behavioral, and neural consequences of body odors emitted during emotional states like fear and happiness. We used a multidisciplinary approach to examine whether molecular cues could be associated with an emotional state in the emitter. Our research revealed that the volatile molecules transmitting different emotions to perceivers also have objectively different chemical properties. Chemical analysis of underarm sweat collected from the same donors in fearful, happy, and emotionally neutral states was conducted using untargeted two-dimensional (GC×GC) coupled with time of flight (ToF) MS-based profiling. Based on the multivariate statistical analyses, we find that the pattern of chemical volatiles (N = 1655 peaks) associated with fearful state is clearly different from that associated with (pleasant) neutral state. Happy sweat is also significantly different from the other states, chemically, but shows a bipolar pattern of overlap with fearful as well as neutral state. Candidate chemical classes associated with emotional and neutral sweat have been identified, specifically, linear aldehydes, ketones, esters, and cyclic molecules (5 rings). This research constitutes a first step toward identifying the chemical fingerprints of emotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique A.M. Smeets
- Unilever R&D Vlaardingen, Olivier van Noortlaan 120, 3133 AT Vlaardingen, The Netherlands; (E.A.E.R.); (D.M.J.); (E.v.V.); (J.H.K.); (C.B.); (I.G.)
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands; (M.B.E.); (B.M.); (J.d.G.); (G.R.S.)
| | - Egge A.E. Rosing
- Unilever R&D Vlaardingen, Olivier van Noortlaan 120, 3133 AT Vlaardingen, The Netherlands; (E.A.E.R.); (D.M.J.); (E.v.V.); (J.H.K.); (C.B.); (I.G.)
| | - Doris M. Jacobs
- Unilever R&D Vlaardingen, Olivier van Noortlaan 120, 3133 AT Vlaardingen, The Netherlands; (E.A.E.R.); (D.M.J.); (E.v.V.); (J.H.K.); (C.B.); (I.G.)
| | - Ewoud van Velzen
- Unilever R&D Vlaardingen, Olivier van Noortlaan 120, 3133 AT Vlaardingen, The Netherlands; (E.A.E.R.); (D.M.J.); (E.v.V.); (J.H.K.); (C.B.); (I.G.)
| | - Jean H. Koek
- Unilever R&D Vlaardingen, Olivier van Noortlaan 120, 3133 AT Vlaardingen, The Netherlands; (E.A.E.R.); (D.M.J.); (E.v.V.); (J.H.K.); (C.B.); (I.G.)
| | - Cor Blonk
- Unilever R&D Vlaardingen, Olivier van Noortlaan 120, 3133 AT Vlaardingen, The Netherlands; (E.A.E.R.); (D.M.J.); (E.v.V.); (J.H.K.); (C.B.); (I.G.)
| | - Ilse Gortemaker
- Unilever R&D Vlaardingen, Olivier van Noortlaan 120, 3133 AT Vlaardingen, The Netherlands; (E.A.E.R.); (D.M.J.); (E.v.V.); (J.H.K.); (C.B.); (I.G.)
| | - Marloes B. Eidhof
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands; (M.B.E.); (B.M.); (J.d.G.); (G.R.S.)
| | - Benyamin Markovitch
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands; (M.B.E.); (B.M.); (J.d.G.); (G.R.S.)
| | - Jasper de Groot
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands; (M.B.E.); (B.M.); (J.d.G.); (G.R.S.)
| | - Gün R. Semin
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands; (M.B.E.); (B.M.); (J.d.G.); (G.R.S.)
- William James Center for Research, ISPA-Instituto Universitário, 1149-041 Lisboa, Portugal
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