Color affects perceived odor intensity.
In Experiment 1, some odorous solutions (e.g., strawberry) were rated as smelling stronger when colored (e.g., red) than when colorless. Experiment 2 showed this effect to be due to a perceptual change rather than a response to experimental demand characteristics. Experiment 3 showed that the color-induced increase in odor intensity is not due to subjects' preexperimental experience with particular color-odor combinations, because the increase occurred with novel ones. We conclude that color induces a weak olfactory percept that combines with odorant-induced percepts. The effect may be due to conditioning or may be the result of residual intersensory neural connections left over from infancy.
Zellner
D A
DA
Department of Psychology, Shippensburg University, Pennsylvania 17257.
Kautz
M A
MA
D000328:Adult; D001245:Association Learning; D003118:Color Perception; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D012903:Smell; D013649:Taste