Current Specific Research Projects
EmOdor: Unveiling the Emotional Power of Scents
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The notion that olfaction and emotion are intimately connected has long been a widespread belief. However, to what extent is this belief grounded in fact rather than mere folklore?
Beyond popular opinion, many research has demonstrated that odors can influence mood, evoke intense experiences of pleasure or displeasure, and induce sensations of arousal or relaxation. Furthermore, odors appear to be potent triggers for recalling emotional experiences from memory.
Despite these well-documented findings, there has been limited investigation into the precise mechanisms by which olfaction elicits emotions, especially in comparison to visual and auditory modalities.
The EmOdor project, funded and conducted in collaboration with , seeks to enhance our understanding of the emotions evoked by perfumes and aromas.
The fascinating questions that drive our research include:
- What emotions are triggered by odors? (more here)
- Are these emotions universal?
- How are these emotions generated in the brain?
- What are our physical emotional responses to odors?
- Are there implicit measures of our olfactory preferences and emotions?
- Can we dissociate wanting from liking an odor?
The main facilities for conducting this exciting empirical and applied research are located in the .听