Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Olfaction01:25

Olfaction

The sense of smell is achieved through the activities of the olfactory system. It starts when an airborne odorant enters the nasal cavity and reaches olfactory epithelium (OE). The OE is protected by a thin layer of mucus, which also serves the purpose of dissolving more complex compounds into simpler chemical odorants. The size of the OE and the density of sensory neurons varies among species; in humans, the OE is only about 9-10 cm2.
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway01:20

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway

Humans detect odors with the help of specialized cells located in the upper part of the nasal cavity, called olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). ORNs possess hair-like structures called cilia, which are receptive to sensations from the inhaled air. When an odorant molecule binds to a specific receptor on the cell of the cilia, it leads to a series of events that ultimately cause the ORN to send electrical signals to the olfactory bulb in the brain through the olfactory nerves.
The olfactory...
Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure01:03

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

The process of olfaction, also known as the sense of smell, is a sophisticated chemical response system. The specialized sensory neurons that facilitate this process, known as olfactory receptor neurons, are situated in an upper segment of the nasal cavity, known as the olfactory epithelium. Olfactory sensory neurons are bipolar, with their dendrites extending from the epithelium's apex into the mucus that lines the nasal cavity. Airborne molecules, when inhaled, traverse the olfactory...
Introduction to Special Senses01:26

Introduction to Special Senses

Sensory receptors play an integral part in comprehending our external and internal environments. They receive diverse stimuli, converting them into the nervous system's electrochemical signals. This conversion occurs as the stimulus alters the sensory neuron's cell membrane potential, instigating the generation of an action potential. This action potential is subsequently transmitted to the central nervous system (CNS), which integrates with other sensory data or higher cognitive functions.
Tactile and Chemical Senses01:27

Tactile and Chemical Senses

Tactile senses encompass touch, temperature, and pain, each mediated by specific receptors. Touch receptors detect mechanical energy or pressure against the skin. Sensory fibers from these receptors enter the spinal cord and relay information to the brain stem. Here, most fibers cross over to the opposite side of the brain. The touch information then moves to the thalamus, which projects a map of the body's surface onto the somatosensory areas of the parietal lobes in the cerebral cortex. This...
Factors Affecting Perception01:25

Factors Affecting Perception

Perception is influenced by perceptual set, context, motivation, and emotion. Perceptual set, or perceptual expectancy, refers to the tendency to perceive things in a particular way, influenced by previous experiences and expectations. This phenomenon affects the interpretation of stimuli, creating a set of mental tendencies and assumptions that impact sensory perceptions of sound, taste, touch, and sight.
An illustrative example of a perceptual set is the scenario where an airline pilot told...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Is High Fat and Sugar Intake Associated with Disrupted Attentional-Motivational Coupling for Food? Evidence from an Eye Tracking Study.

Brain sciences·2026
Same author

Testing a learning-based account of interoceptive hunger using an illusory induction.

Appetite·2026
Same author

Psychological induction of interoceptive states.

Consciousness and cognition·2026
Same author

Sound source ambiguity augments illusory mislocalisation of computer presented stomach rumbles to self.

Psychological research·2025
Same author

Evaluating psychological accounts of diet-related mood improvements using novel control conditions.

Appetite·2025
Same author

Using a bodily illusion to examine the motivational basis of interoceptive hunger cues.

Psychological research·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Olfactory Context Dependent Memory: Direct Presentation of Odorants
04:47

Olfactory Context Dependent Memory: Direct Presentation of Odorants

Published on: September 18, 2018

Phenomenological differences between familiar and unfamiliar odours.

Simon A Mingo1, Richard J Stevenson

  • 1Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia.

Perception
|August 28, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Familiarity with odors makes them easier to identify. Exposure to unfamiliar odors, but not just learning their names, reduced the perceived difference between familiar and unfamiliar smells, suggesting memory plays a key role in odor perception.

More Related Videos

Testing for Odor Discrimination and Habituation in Mice
06:41

Testing for Odor Discrimination and Habituation in Mice

Published on: May 5, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Olfactory Context Dependent Memory: Direct Presentation of Odorants
04:47

Olfactory Context Dependent Memory: Direct Presentation of Odorants

Published on: September 18, 2018

Testing for Odor Discrimination and Habituation in Mice
06:41

Testing for Odor Discrimination and Habituation in Mice

Published on: May 5, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Olfactory perception
  • Cognitive psychology
  • Neuroscience

Background:

  • Discriminating between unfamiliar odors is more challenging than familiar ones.
  • The underlying perceptual and cognitive mechanisms driving this difference remain incompletely understood.
  • Odor quality perception is influenced by prior experience and memory.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the phenomenal basis for the difference in discriminability between familiar and unfamiliar odors.
  • To determine the impact of odor exposure and naming on odor quality perception.
  • To explore the role of mnemonic processes in olfactory perception.

Main Methods:

  • Participants profiled the quality of familiar and unfamiliar odors in initial experiments.
  • A second experiment involved learning names and/or experiencing exposure to sets of familiar and unfamiliar odors.
  • Odor profiling was conducted on exposed, unexposed, and control stimuli to assess changes in perceived odor qualities.

Main Results:

  • Unfamiliar odors were initially perceived as having more distinct qualities than familiar odors.
  • Odor exposure, unlike naming, significantly reduced the perceived difference in odor qualities between familiar and unfamiliar stimuli.
  • Exposed unfamiliar odors were perceived as less distinct compared to unexposed unfamiliar odors.

Conclusions:

  • The findings suggest that memory plays a crucial role in shaping odor quality perception.
  • Exposure-based learning, rather than simple naming, influences how odors are perceived and differentiated.
  • These results support a mnemonic basis for the enhanced discriminability of familiar odors.