The scent of the other women: Body odor-induced behavioral and physiological effects on face categorization

PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR

卷:210

Article

Mutic, Smiljana^1,2  Freiherr, Jessica^3,4  Cavazzana, Annachiara^5,6  Rocha, Marta^7,8  Soares, Sandra C.^7,8  Parma, Valentina^2,8,9 

[1] Rhein Westfal TH Aachen, Diagnost & Intervent Neuroradiol, Aachen, Germany

[2] Monell Chem Senses Ctr, 3500 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA

[3] FAU Erlangen Nurnberg, Dept Psychiat & Psychotherapy, Sect Neurosci Sensory Percept, Erlangen, Germany

[4] Fraunhofer Inst Proc Engn & Packaging IVV, Dept Sensory Analyt, Freising Weihenstephan, Germany

[5] Tech Univ Dresden, Dept Otorhinolaryngol, Smell & Taste Clin, Dresden, Germany

[6] Stockholm Univ, Dept Psychol, Gosta Ekman Lab, Stockholm, Sweden

[7] Univ Aveiro, Dept Educ & Psychol, CINTESIS UA, Aveiro, Portugal

[8] Inst Super Psicol Aplicada, William James Ctr Res, Rua Jardim do Tabaco 34, Lisbon, Portugal

[9] Karolinska Inst, Dept Clin Neurosci, Stockholm, Sweden

关键词: Chemosensation;    Intrasexual competition;    Olfaction;    Chemosignal;    Smell;    Heart rate;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112562

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

In body odor research, the interaction of female donors and receivers is scarcely investigated. With the aim to investigate effects of female body odor in a competitive context, we tested 51 women divided into two groups (i.e., a competitive and a non-competitive group, based on verbal instructions). Between groups, we explored whether female body odor exposure (vs. masker odor) modulates emotion categorization (via RT variance and distribution) and physiological reactions (via instantaneous heart rate) in a task with dynamic male and female faces as either angry or happy. Women in the competitive group reported to feel more competitive and performed more accurately. They gathered more emotional information to categorize dynamic faces and when additionally exposed to female body odor, they showed a resistance to cardiac deceleration. Lapses of attention (via RT distribution) occurred irrespective of body odor exposure. Our results support the idea that female body odors, presented in a competitive context, contrast cardiac deceleration and, by tendency, modulate emotion categorization. Data are discussed in the context of chemosignaling and social interactions among women.

【 授权许可】

Free