Just Noticeable Differences in Component Concentrations Modify the Odor Quality of a Blending Mixture
The odors we perceive are mainly the result of mixtures of odorants that, however, are commonly perceived as single undivided entities; nevertheless, the processes involved remain poorly explored. It has been recently reported that perceptual blending based on configural olfactory processing can cau...
Saved in:
Published in | Chemical senses Vol. 33; no. 4; pp. 389 - 395 |
---|---|
Main Authors | , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Oxford
Oxford University Press
01.04.2008
Oxford Publishing Limited (England) Oxford University Press (OUP) |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
Cover
Loading…
Summary: | The odors we perceive are mainly the result of mixtures of odorants that, however, are commonly perceived as single undivided entities; nevertheless, the processes involved remain poorly explored. It has been recently reported that perceptual blending based on configural olfactory processing can cause odorant mixtures to give rise to an emergent odor not present in the components. The present study examined whether specific component proportions are required to elicit an emergent odor. Starting from the composition of a ternary target mixture in which an emergent pineapple odor was perceived, 4 concentration levels of each component were chosen to elicit just noticeable differences (JNDs). Each combination of levels was used to design sample mixtures. Fifteen subjects evaluated the intensity, typicality, and pleasantness of each sample mixture against the target mixture in a paired-comparison protocol. Statistical modeling showed that a variation of less than 1 JND in one of the components was sufficient to induce a significant decrease in pineapple odor typicality in the ternary mixture. This finding confirms previous findings on perceptual blending in simple odorant mixtures and underscores the human ability to discriminate between odor percepts induced by mixtures including very similar odorant proportions. |
---|---|
Bibliography: | ark:/67375/HXZ-KW9C5QWH-Q istex:F4B97439BB1B799F96895DDF6445E107A494258E ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23 ObjectType-Article-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 |
ISSN: | 0379-864X 1464-3553 |
DOI: | 10.1093/chemse/bjn006 |