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Martinec Nováková L, Miletínová E, Kliková M, Bušková J. Nocturnal exposure to a preferred ambient scent does not affect dream emotionality or post-sleep core affect valence in young adults. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10369. [PMID: 38710748 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60226-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Emotions experienced within sleep mentation (dreaming) affect mental functioning in waking life. There have been attempts at enhancing dream emotions using olfactory stimulation. Odors readily acquire affective value, but to profoundly influence emotional processing, they should bear personal significance for the perceiver rather than be generally pleasant. The main objective of the present sleep laboratory study was to examine whether prolonged nocturnal exposure to self-selected, preferred ambient room odor while asleep influences emotional aspects of sleep mentation and valence of post-sleep core affect. We asked twenty healthy participants (12 males, mean age 25 ± 4 years) to pick a commercially available scented room diffuser cartridge that most readily evoked positively valenced mental associations. In weekly intervals, the participants attended three sessions. After the adaptation visit, they were administered the odor exposure and odorless control condition in a balanced order. Participants were awakened five minutes into the first rapid eye movement (REM) stage that took place after 2:30 a.m. and, if they had been dreaming, they were asked to rate their mental sleep experience for pleasantness, emotional charge, and magnitude of positive and negative emotions and also to evaluate their post-sleep core affect valence. With rs < 0.20, no practically or statistically significant differences existed between exposure and control in any outcome measures. We conclude that in young, healthy participants, the practical value of olfactory stimulation with self-selected preferred scents for enhancement of dream emotions and post-sleep core affect valence is very limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Martinec Nováková
- Department of Chemical Education and Humanities, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Technická 5, 16628, Prague 6 - Dejvice, Czech Republic.
| | - Eva Miletínová
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 25067, Klecany, Czech Republic
- 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 87, 10000, Prague 10, Czech Republic
| | - Monika Kliková
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 25067, Klecany, Czech Republic
- 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 87, 10000, Prague 10, Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Bušková
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 25067, Klecany, Czech Republic
- 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 87, 10000, Prague 10, Czech Republic
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Nováková LM, Georgi H, Vlčková K, Kopeček M, Babuská A, Havlíček J. Small Effects of Olfactory Identification and Discrimination on Global Cognitive and Executive Performance Over 1 Year in Aging People Without a History of Age-Related Cognitive Impairment. Physiol Behav 2024:114579. [PMID: 38710351 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Olfactory and cognitive performance share neural correlates profoundly affected by physiological aging. However, whether odor identification and discrimination scores predict global cognitive status and executive function in healthy older people with intact cognition is unclear. Therefore, in the present study, we set out to elucidate these links in a convenience sample of 204 independently living, cognitively intact healthy Czech adults aged 77.4 ± 8.7 (61 - 97 years) over two waves of data collection (one-year interval). We used the Czech versions of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) to evaluate global cognition, and the Prague Stroop Test, Trail Making Test, and several verbal fluency tests to assess executive function. As a subsidiary aim, we aimed to examine the contribution of olfactory performance towards achieving a MoCA score above vs. below a published cut-off value. Our findings demonstrate that olfaction, on the one hand, and global cognition and executive function, on the other, are related even in healthy older people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Martinec Nováková
- Department of Psychology and Life Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Pátkova 2137/5, 182 00 Prague 8 Libeň, Czech Republic; Department of Chemical Education and Humanities, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, Technická 5, 166 28 Prague 6 Dejvice, Czech Republic.
| | - Hana Georgi
- Prague College of Psychosocial Studies, Hekrova 805, 149 00 Prague 4, Czech Republic
| | - Karolína Vlčková
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Náměstí Jana Palacha 2, 116 38 Prague 1, Czech Republic; Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 87, 100 00, Prague 10, Czech Republic; National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67 Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Miloslav Kopeček
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 87, 100 00, Prague 10, Czech Republic; National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67 Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Babuská
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Havlíček
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic
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Martinec Nováková L, Plotěná D, Havlíček J. Children's odor pleasantness ratings may not differ according to pubertal status: Preliminary results from a sample of 11-14-year-old Czech children. Physiol Behav 2024; 281:114572. [PMID: 38688442 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Puberty tends to be viewed as a "turning point" in hedonic perception of body odor (BO)-related smells. The pubertal stage, a potential proxy for the underlying physiological changes, may contribute to variation in odor hedonic perception. Other potential modulators of odor hedonics are general semantic knowledge about odors (which also tends to be subsumed under the term "age") and perceived odor intensity. The present cross-sectional study examined differences in hedonic odor perception across puberty in 205 Czech children aged 11-14 (89 boys). We investigated whether children differ in the hedonic appraisal of BO-related (16-androstenes and castoreum control), but also food and non-food odors according to their pubertal (penis/breast and pubic hair) development and general semantic knowledge about odors (operationalized as odor identification), controlling for age and perceived odor intensity. As a subsidiary aim, we examined variation in odor identification. We asked the children to self-stage themselves using drawings depicting Tanner's penis/breast and pubic hair stages of pubertal development, estimated their general semantic knowledge about odors with a Sniffin' Sticks identification test, and obtained their pleasantness and intensity ratings of body odor-related, food, a non-food smells. We found that the participants' ratings of the 16-androstenes and those of the perceptually similar odor of castoreum differed according to perceived intensity and, in the latter case, in boys vs. girls as well, but there were no influences of pubertal status or odor identification on the perceived pleasantness. Similarly, hedonic appraisal of non-food (but not food) odors was only influenced by perceived intensity. Regarding odor identification, differences between boys and girls were limited to younger children and did not become more marked throughout puberty. Perceived pleasantness of odors, irrespective of whether they are associated with body smells, food, or other, does not appear to vary across puberty, and boys and girls seem to achieve similar levels of semantic odor knowledge as they grow up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Martinec Nováková
- Department of Psychology and Life Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Pátkova 2137/5, 182 00 Praha 8, Libeň, Czech Republic.
| | - Dagmar Plotěná
- Department of Psychology and Life Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Pátkova 2137/5, 182 00 Praha 8, Libeň, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Havlíček
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 00 Prague 2, Czech Republic
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Zakreski E, Androvičová R, Bártová K, Chronos A, Krejčová L, Martinec Nováková L, Klapilová K. Childhood Adversity and Offense-Supportive Cognitions Among Czech Adults with a Sexual Interest in Violence or Children. Arch Sex Behav 2024:10.1007/s10508-024-02837-1. [PMID: 38514492 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-024-02837-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Individuals with paraphilic interests in sexual violence or children may be more likely to sexually offend if they possess offense-supportive cognitions. These cognitions may develop in response to childhood adversity. However, this idea is largely based on research in men convicted of sexual offenses and may not generalize to non-incarcerated adults with paraphilic interests. In a sample of 178 adults screened for paraphilic interests in violence or children (from the general Czech population), we hypothesized that childhood sexual abuse and emotional neglect would be associated with offense-supportive cognitions about rape and child molestation. Participants came from a nationally representative sample of Czech adults and were selected if they self-reported high levels of sexual interest in violence and/or children. Participants completed an online survey with self-report measures of sexual orientation, offense-supportive cognitions (Bumby RAPE and MOLEST scales), and childhood sexual abuse and emotional neglect (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire). Controlling for gender, age, and sexual orientation, we found that both rape-supportive cognitions and child molestation-supportive cognitions were significantly associated with higher levels of childhood sexual abuse, but not emotional neglect. These findings indicate that childhood sexual abuse may lead to offense-supportive cognitions among men and women with paraphilia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Zakreski
- Centrum Pro Sexuální Zdraví a Intervence, National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic.
- Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Renáta Androvičová
- Centrum Pro Sexuální Zdraví a Intervence, National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Klára Bártová
- Centrum Pro Sexuální Zdraví a Intervence, National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Agatha Chronos
- Faculty of Psychology, Universitetet i Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Lucie Krejčová
- Centrum Pro Sexuální Zdraví a Intervence, National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Martinec Nováková
- Centrum Pro Sexuální Zdraví a Intervence, National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Kateřina Klapilová
- Centrum Pro Sexuální Zdraví a Intervence, National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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Martinec Nováková L, Kliková M, Miletínová E, Bušková J. Olfaction-Related Factors Affecting Chemosensory Dream Content in a Sleep Laboratory. Brain Sci 2021; 11:1225. [PMID: 34573245 PMCID: PMC8465492 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11091225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Mental activity in sleep often involves visual and auditory content. Chemosensory (olfactory and gustatory) experiences are less common and underexplored. The aim of the study was to identify olfaction-related factors that may affect the occurrence of chemosensory dream content. Specifically, we investigated the effects of all-night exposure to an ambient odour, participants' appraisal of their current olfactory environment, their general propensity to notice odours and act on them (i.e., odour awareness), and their olfactory acuity. Sixty pre-screened healthy young adults underwent olfactory assessment, completed a measure of odour awareness, and spent three nights in weekly intervals in a sleep laboratory. The purpose of the first visit was to adapt to the experimental setting. On the second visit, half of them were exposed to the smell of vanillin or thioglycolic acid and the other half to an odourless control condition. On the third visit, they received control or stimulation in a balanced order. On each visit, data were collected twice: once from the first rapid eye movement (REM) stage that occurred after 3 a.m., and then shortly before getting up, usually from a non-REM stage. Participants were asked to report the presence of sensory dream content and to assess their current olfactory environment. Neither exposure, nor participants' assessments of the ambient odour, or olfactory acuity affected reports of chemosensory dream content but they were more frequent in individuals with greater odour awareness. This finding may have implications for treatment when such experiences become unwanted or bothersome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Martinec Nováková
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67 Klecany, Czech Republic; (M.K.); (E.M.); (J.B.)
- Department of Psychology and Life Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Pátkova 2137/5, 182 00 Prague 8-Libeň, Czech Republic
| | - Monika Kliková
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67 Klecany, Czech Republic; (M.K.); (E.M.); (J.B.)
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 87, 100 00 Prague 10-Vinohrady, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Miletínová
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67 Klecany, Czech Republic; (M.K.); (E.M.); (J.B.)
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 87, 100 00 Prague 10-Vinohrady, Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Bušková
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67 Klecany, Czech Republic; (M.K.); (E.M.); (J.B.)
- Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ruská 87, 100 00 Prague 10-Vinohrady, Czech Republic
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Martinec Nováková L, Havlíček J. Time, Age, Gender, and Test Practice Effects on Children’s Olfactory Performance: a Two-Year Longitudinal Study. CHEMOSENS PERCEPT 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s12078-019-09260-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Schriever VA, Agosin E, Altundag A, Avni H, Cao Van H, Cornejo C, de Los Santos G, Fishman G, Fragola C, Guarneros M, Gupta N, Hudson R, Kamel R, Knaapila A, Konstantinidis I, Landis BN, Larsson M, Lundström JN, Macchi A, Mariño-Sánchez F, Martinec Nováková L, Mori E, Mullol J, Nord M, Parma V, Philpott C, Propst EJ, Rawan A, Sandell M, Sorokowska A, Sorokowski P, Sparing-Paschke LM, Stetzler C, Valder C, Vodicka J, Hummel T. Development of an International Odor Identification Test for Children: The Universal Sniff Test. J Pediatr 2018; 198:265-272.e3. [PMID: 29730147 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2018.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2017] [Revised: 03/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess olfactory function in children and to create and validate an odor identification test to diagnose olfactory dysfunction in children, which we called the Universal Sniff (U-Sniff) test. STUDY DESIGN This is a multicenter study involving 19 countries. The U-Sniff test was developed in 3 phases including 1760 children age 5-7 years. Phase 1: identification of potentially recognizable odors; phase 2: selection of odorants for the odor identification test; and phase 3: evaluation of the test and acquisition of normative data. Test-retest reliability was evaluated in a subgroup of children (n = 27), and the test was validated using children with congenital anosmia (n = 14). RESULTS Twelve odors were familiar to children and, therefore, included in the U-Sniff test. Children scored a mean ± SD of 9.88 ± 1.80 points out of 12. Normative data was obtained and reported for each country. The U-Sniff test demonstrated a high test-retest reliability (r27 = 0.83, P < .001) and enabled discrimination between normosmia and children with congenital anosmia with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 86%. CONCLUSIONS The U-Sniff is a valid and reliable method of testing olfaction in children and can be used internationally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentin A Schriever
- Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medizinische Fakultät Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität, Dresden, Germany; Abteilung Neuropädiatrie, Medizinische Fakultät Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Eduardo Agosin
- Escuela de Ingeniería, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Hadas Avni
- Pediatric Feeding Disorders clinic, Dana Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Helene Cao Van
- Pediatric Otolaryngology Unit, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Carlos Cornejo
- Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Gonzalo de Los Santos
- Unidad de Rinología y Cirugía de Base de Cráneo. Servicio de Otorrinolaringología. Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal. Madrid, Spain
| | - Gad Fishman
- Pediatric Otolaryngology, Dana Children's Hospital, Tel-Aviv Medical Center, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Claudio Fragola
- Unidad de Rinología y Cirugía de Base de Cráneo. Servicio de Otorrinolaringología. Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal. Madrid, Spain
| | - Marco Guarneros
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Fisiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - Neelima Gupta
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University College of Medical Sciences and GTB Hospital, Delhi, India
| | - Robyn Hudson
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Fisiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - Reda Kamel
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Antti Knaapila
- Food Chemistry and Food Development, Department of Biochemistry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Basile N Landis
- Rhinology-Olfactology Unit, Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maria Larsson
- Gösta Ekman Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johan N Lundström
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alberto Macchi
- ORL Clinica, Università of Insubriae Varese, ASST Settelaghi, Varese, Italy
| | - Franklin Mariño-Sánchez
- Unidad de Rinología y Cirugía de Base de Cráneo. Servicio de Otorrinolaringología. Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal. Madrid, Spain; INGENIO, Immunoal.lèrgia Respiratòria Clínica i Experimental (IRCE), Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic, CIBERES, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Lenka Martinec Nováková
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Czech Republic; National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Eri Mori
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Joaquim Mullol
- INGENIO, Immunoal.lèrgia Respiratòria Clínica i Experimental (IRCE), Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic, CIBERES, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Marie Nord
- Gösta Ekman Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Valentina Parma
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA; International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Neuroscience Area, Trieste, Italy
| | - Carl Philpott
- Smell and Taste Clinic, James Paget University Hospital, Gorleston, United Kingdom; Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Evan J Propst
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Ahmed Rawan
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Mari Sandell
- Functional Foods Forum, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Agnieszka Sorokowska
- Smell and Taste Research Lab, Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, Poland; Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Piotr Sorokowski
- Smell and Taste Research Lab, Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Lisa-Marie Sparing-Paschke
- Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medizinische Fakultät Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität, Dresden, Germany
| | - Carolin Stetzler
- Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medizinische Fakultät Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Jan Vodicka
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Pardubice Hospital, Faculty of Health Studies, University of Pardubice, Czech Republic
| | - Thomas Hummel
- Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Medizinische Fakultät Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität, Dresden, Germany
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Abstract
Diversity in children's everyday olfactory environment may affect the development of their olfactory abilities and odor awareness. To test this, we collected data on olfactory abilities using the Sniffin' Sticks and odor awareness with Children's Olfactory Behaviors in Everyday Life Questionnaire in 153 preschool children and retested them one and a half year later. Parents completed an inventory on children's exposure to a variety of odors and on their own odor awareness using the Odor Awareness Scale. We controlled for the effects of age and verbal fluency on the children's performance. We found that the children's odor identification and discrimination scores differed as a function of parental odor awareness. Although these effects were rather small, they were commensurate in size with those of gender and age. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to present evidence that diversity in children's olfactory environment affects variation in their olfactory abilities and odor awareness. We suggest that future studies consider the long-term impact of perceptual learning out of the laboratory and its consequences for olfactory development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Martinec Nováková
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, U Kříže 8, 158 00, Prague 5 - Jinonice, Czech Republic.
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic.
| | - Jitka Fialová
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44, Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Havlíček
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44, Prague 2, Czech Republic
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Martinec Nováková L, Vojtušová Mrzílková R, Kernerová A. Gender differences in influences of temperament on olfactory reactivity and awareness. Sci Rep 2017; 7:8920. [PMID: 28827577 PMCID: PMC5566423 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-09231-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Children's olfactory performance is associated with temperament but whether there is a link with olfactory reactivity and awareness is not known. In adults negative affectivity is linked to reactivity to environmental odours but it is not clear whether these associations extend to children. We aimed to investigate the effect of temperamental factors on olfactory reactivity and awareness. In so doing, we controlled for the effect of parenting styles on temperamental assessment and of verbal fluency on children's olfactory reactivity and awareness. We hypothesised that children with a high degree of negative affectivity would show greater olfactory reactivity and awareness. 129 children (62 boys, mean age 6.83 ± 0.40 years) were interviewed about their olfactory reactivity and awareness in everyday life using the established Children's Olfactory Behavior in Everyday Life questionnaire (COBEL). Parents assessed their child's temperament using the 94-item short form of the Children's Behavior Questionnaire. We found that the relationship between negative affectivity and total COBEL scores varied between the genders: there was a positive, medium to large effect in boys and a negative, small one in girls. Future studies could include behavioural observations of temperament and olfactory reactivity and awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Martinec Nováková
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, U Kříže 8, Prague 5 - Jinonice, 15800, Czech Republic. .,National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 25067, Klecany, Czech Republic.
| | - Radka Vojtušová Mrzílková
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, U Kříže 8, Prague 5 - Jinonice, 15800, Czech Republic
| | - Anna Kernerová
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, U Kříže 8, Prague 5 - Jinonice, 15800, Czech Republic.,National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, 25067, Klecany, Czech Republic
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Bártová K, Štěrbová Z, Martinec Nováková L, Binter J, Varella MAC, Valentova JV. Homogamy in Masculinity-Femininity Is Positively Linked to Relationship Quality in Gay Male Couples from the Czech Republic. Arch Sex Behav 2017; 46:1349-1359. [PMID: 28155009 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-016-0931-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2015] [Revised: 12/10/2016] [Accepted: 12/26/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The main aims of this research were to test the similarity of masculinity-femininity in long-term male same-sex couples from the Czech Republic and to examine whether this similarity predicts higher relationship quality. In Study 1, participants (N = 30) and their partners completed the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS) and the Childhood Gender Nonconformity Scale (CGN). In Study 2, participants (N = 40) and their partners completed DAS and the Gender Diagnosticity Scale (GD). Results showed that the partners were no more alike than individuals paired at random in their CGN or GD, but greater similarity in CGN between partners increased Dyadic Cohesion (r = -.41 [-.71, -.02]) and Affectional Expression (r = -.38 [-.60, -.13]). Our results add to previous evidence showing that similarity in same-sex couples increased relationship quality. Although, on average, gay men were not coupled on the basis of homogamy in gender roles, their relationship quality is linked to the gender egalitarian model rather than to the gender stratified one. Thus, a widespread stereotype suggesting that same-sex partners are divided by different gender roles seems to be, at least in our sample from a Western society, rather incorrect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klára Bártová
- Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, U Kříže 8, 158 00, Prague, Czech Republic.
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, Klecany, Czech Republic.
| | - Zuzana Štěrbová
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, Klecany, Czech Republic
- Institute of Sexology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Ke Karlovu 11, Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Martinec Nováková
- Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, U Kříže 8, 158 00, Prague, Czech Republic
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Binter
- Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, U Kříže 8, 158 00, Prague, Czech Republic
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolová 748, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Marco Antonio Corrêa Varella
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Mello Moraes 1721, CEP 05508-030, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Jaroslava Varella Valentova
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Mello Moraes 1721, CEP 05508-030, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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11
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Abstract
As previously suggested, preferences for kin body odor might undergo an adaptive change over the course of puberty in order to avoid potential inbreeding, resulting in aversion to body odor of the opposite-gender kin as individuals mature sexually. However, studies based on mutual body odor aversion are rather inconclusive. We therefore investigated whether children's reports of individuals smelling good or bad differed as a function of age and pubertal status. We asked 219 children (94 male) aged 10 to 15 years to assess their pubertal development using a standardized measure and to name individuals they thought smelled good or bad. Results of the present study show that the older the girls were, the more likely they were to name males than females among nice-smelling people. Further, in both girls and boys alike, children with higher puberty scores were more likely to name children than adults. Neither in girls nor in boys did we observe any concurrent effect of age or pubertal status on children's reports of persons thought to smell bad. Irrespective of whether these changes are driven by age itself or age-related phenomena, these results suggest a shift toward a more general positive attitude to peers rather than active kin avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Martinec Nováková
- Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic; National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
| | - Dagmar Plotěná
- Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Havlíček
- Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic; National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
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12
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Martinec Nováková L, Plotěná D, Roberts SC, Havlíček J. Positive relationship between odor identification and affective responses of negatively valenced odors. Front Psychol 2015; 6:607. [PMID: 26029143 PMCID: PMC4426687 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Hedonic ratings of odors and olfactory preferences are influenced by a number of modulating factors, such as prior experience and knowledge about an odor’s identity. The present study addresses the relationship between knowledge about an odor’s identity due to prior experience, assessed by means of a test of cued odor identification, and odor pleasantness ratings in children who exhibit ongoing olfactory learning. Ninety-one children aged 8–11 years rated the pleasantness of odors in the Sniffin’ Sticks test and, subsequently, took the odor identification test. A positive association between odor identification and pleasantness was found for two unpleasant food odors (garlic and fish): higher pleasantness ratings were exhibited by those participants who correctly identified these odors compared to those who failed to correctly identify them. However, we did not find a similar effect for any of the more pleasant odors. The results of this study suggest that pleasantness ratings of some odors may be modulated by the knowledge of their identity due to prior experience and that this relationship might be more evident in unpleasant odors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Martinec Nováková
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University Prague, Czech Republic ; Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Dagmar Plotěná
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University Prague, Czech Republic
| | - S Craig Roberts
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling Stirling, UK
| | - Jan Havlíček
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University Prague, Czech Republic
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