Abstract

EFFECTS OF A LEMON AROMA ON ATTENTION, REACTION TIME AND MOOD

Andrew P. Smith*, PhD and Katy Nicholson-Lord

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Abstract

Background: The literature on aromas and mood and cognition shows that effects may depend on the method of presenting the aroma, aroma type, duration and the outcome measures examined. The present study examined the effects of a lemon aroma produced by a commercial diffuser on mood, a focused attention choice reaction time task and a categoric search choice reaction time task. Method: Forty-four university students completed the study. Participants carried out one session with a lemon aroma and one with no aroma. The order of conditions was counterbalanced. Results: The accuracy of identifying the presence of an aroma was at a chance level. Those in the aroma condition reported a more positive mood (higher hedonic tone scores) both before and after the performance tests. Those in the aroma condition were more accurate but slower. They also showed faster encoding of new information. Conclusion: The present study has shown that exposure to a lemon aroma is associated with a morepositive hedonic tone, more accurate performance, and faster encoding of new information but a slower motor response. Further research is required to identify the mechanisms underlying such effects and evaluate the practical relevance of these changes.

Keywords: Lemon; Aroma; Mood; Selective Attention; Choice Reaction Time; Errors; Encoding of new information; University students.