Review of: Olfaction, Emotion and Associative Learning: Effects on Motivated Behavior

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In their article titled Olfaction, Emotion and Associative Learning: Effects on Motivated Behavior, Herz, Schankler, & Beland (2004) seek to unearth the effects of ambient odors on motivation. The researchers first explain that previous research has revealed that an individual’s emotional state can be influenced by odors, and more specifically, odors that the individual finds enjoyable produce positive emotional states, and odors that the individual finds aversive produce negative emotional states. An individual’s emotional state, or mood, can then influence their behavior. A behavior found to be particularly influenced by mood is motivation, which can be evaluated by mental determination. The length of time an individual perseveres towards a strenuous mental task is a good indicator of the individual’s mental determination. Although previous research has shown there is a correlation between ambient odors, emotional states, and behavior, the effects of ambient odor on motivation has not been directly studied and therefore is a major component in the present study.
Important concepts in this study include associative learning and odor hedonic perception. Associative learning, a type of learning which greatly influences behavior, occurs when two previously unconnected items become connected as a result of experiencing them congruently. Odor hedonic perception refers to the liking or disliking of an odor, and is thought to occur as a result of associative learning. For example, previous research has found that certain emotional states (such as frustration) can be elicited by certain odors, if those odors had been present during the time a specific emotion (frustration) was experienced.
The researcher’s in the current stu...

... middle of paper ...

...experiment, which were further validated from their second experiment, revealed that associative learning (in regards to ambient odors and their effects on mood and consequently behavior), can occur. When participants were exposed to a specific odor during which they experienced a frustrated mood, they re-experienced frustration, and therefore lost motivation, when exposed to that same specific odor during cognitive tests. The current study showed not only is there a relationship between ambient odors, emotional states, and behavior, but that ambient odor can have an effect on motivation as a result of associative learning (Herz, Schankler, & Beland, 2004).

Works Cited

Herz, R. S., Schankler, C., & Beland, S. (2004). Olfaction, Emotion and Associative Learning: Effects on Motivated Behavior. Motivation & Emotion, 28(4), 363-383.
doi:10.1007/s11031-004-2389-x.

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