Study on the Psychological States of Olfactory Stimuli Using Electroencephalography and Heart Rate Variability

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Sensory Science

Background:

• Modern society's stress levels necessitate effective stress-relief methods.
• Aromatherapy is a popular stress-relief technique using scents.
• Quantitative evaluation methods are needed to understand aroma's psychological impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between biological indicators and the psychological effects of aromas.
• To propose a quantitative method for evaluating psychological states during aroma inhalation.

Main Methods:

• Collected electroencephalogram (EEG) and heart rate variability (HRV) data during aroma presentation with seven olfactory stimuli.
• Extracted and analyzed EEG and HRV indexes in response to olfactory stimuli.
• Visualized psychological states on an emotion map.

Main Results:

• Olfactory stimuli significantly impact psychological states, with immediate but adapting responses.
• EEG and HRV indexes showed distinct differences between pleasant aromas and unpleasant odors, particularly in younger males.
• Delta wave and RMSSD indexes show potential for cross-gender and cross-generational evaluation.

Conclusions:

• EEG and HRV indexes can quantitatively evaluate psychological states influenced by olfactory stimuli.
• The integrated method of biological indexes and emotion mapping offers novel insights into olfactory responses.
• Findings can inform marketing and product design by understanding consumer emotional responses to scents.