Abstract:

Fragrance experience is the product of the sensory properties of fragrance materials and the psychological processes involved in perception, memory and emotion. This paper provides an overview of experimental research that has examined the role of cognition and emotion on the perception and evaluation of fragrances. The findings are relevant to understanding the sources of variation in the response to fragrances that lie beyond a simple sensory evaluation. Insights obtained from this type of analysis can be useful when conducting test panels or consumer tests, and when deciding the best ways to market a fragrance through elaboration via other sensory modalities.