Effects of Emotional Olfactory Stimuli on Modulating Angry Driving Based on an EEG Connectivity Study.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Transportation Safety

Background:

• Road safety is critically impacted by drivers' anger, yet effective regulation strategies are underexplored.
• Existing research on anger management lacks feasible interventions for driving contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy and neural mechanisms of emotional olfactory stimuli (EOS) in regulating anger during driving.
• To explore the impact of different EOS on brain activity and anger-related characteristics using electroencephalography (EEG).

Main Methods:

• Designed an angry driving regulation experiment utilizing EOS and recorded EEG signals.
• Analyzed functional brain networks (FBNs) to explore brain activation patterns under various EOS conditions.
• Utilized time-frequency analysis to study EEG changes and anger-related characteristics.

Main Results:

• EOS demonstrated significant effectiveness in regulating drivers' anger emotions.
• Banana odor exhibited superior regulatory effects, decreasing parietal and temporal lobe synchronization.
• Banana odor's regulatory effect was optimal, persistent, and reduced high-energy activation in the parietal lobe.

Conclusions:

• EOS, particularly banana odor, presents a viable and effective tool for regulating anger while driving.
• Findings offer novel insights into functional connectivity dynamics during anger regulation in drivers.
• This study highlights the potential of olfactory stimuli for enhancing road safety interventions.