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Category: Project

Description: The scent of another person can activate memories, trigger emotions, and spark romantic attraction; however, almost nothing is known about whether and how human scents influence responses to stress. In the current study, ninety-six participants were randomly assigned to smell one of three scents (their romantic partner’s, a stranger’s, or a clean scent) and were exposed to an acute stressor (Trier Social Stress Test). Perceived stress was lowest for participants who were exposed to their partner’s shirt. Cortisol levels were highest for participants who were exposed to a stranger’s shirt. Mediation analyses indicated that the initial elevated perceived stress experienced by people exposed to a stranger’s scent (versus their partner’s scent) explained differences in the cortisol responses between the two groups. The current work speaks to the critical role of human olfactory cues in social communication and reveals that the scent of other people impacts both psychological and physiological reactions to stress.