title: Effect of acute exposure to a complex fragrance on lexical decision performance.
abstract: This study tested the effect of acute exposure to a commercial air freshener, derived from fragrant botanical extracts, at an average concentration of 3.16 mg/m(3) total volatile organic compounds on the lexical decision performance of 28 naive participants. Participants attended two 18-min sessions on separate days and were continuously exposed to the fragrance in either the first (F/NF) or second (NF/F) session. Participants were not instructed about the fragrance. Exposure to the fragrance did not affect high-frequency word recognition. However, there was an order of administration effect for low-frequency word recognition accuracy. When the fragrance was administered first before the no-odor control condition, it did not affect accuracy, but when it was administered second after the control condition, it significantly decreased low-frequency word recognition accuracy. Reaction times to low-frequency words were significantly slower than those for high-frequency words, but no effect of either fragrance or order of administration on reaction times was found. The presence of fragrance in the second session apparently served as a distraction that impaired lexical task performance accuracy. The introduction of fragrances into buildings may not necessarily facilitate all aspects of work performance as anticipated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Design and Environmental Analysis, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Daniel E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Gaygen
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hedge
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001519:Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D003657:Decision Making / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014825:Vocabulary; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds