title: Detecting concentration differences in aromatic oils.
abstract: 200 University of Wolverhampton undergraduates rank-ordered samples of aromatic oils commonly used in complementary medicine in terms of their concentration in the air above an oil-soaked cotton ball. Each participant was assigned the task of discriminating between 5 microl, 10 microl, and 20 microl of oil absorbed onto cotton balls. 25 participants assessed each oil, and 8 oils were used. Cardamom, Rosemary, and Ylang Ylang were highly discriminable; however, discrimination of different concentrations of Chamomile, Cyprus, Geranium, Jasmine, and Lavender did not significantly differ from chance. These data provide useful indices for choosing aromatic oils for research purposes.
authors.affiliation: University of Wolverhampton, Division of Psychology, UK. NeilMorris1@aol.com
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Morris
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019341:Aromatherapy; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D012903:Smell
chemical_list: D009822:Oils, Volatile