The role of perceptual and structural similarity in cross-adaptation

Cross-adaptation, the decrease in sensitivity to one odorant following exposure to a different odorant, is affected by odorant similarity, both perceptual and structural, but the precise relationship is obscure. The present series of studies was designed to explore various aspects of perceptual and structural similarity as they relate to cross-adaptation. In Experiment 1, cross-adaptation was assessed between androstenone and five odorants that share a common urinous note with androstenone, but retain unique perceptual characteristics; only the compound judged most perceptually similar to androstenone cross-adapted it. In Experiment 2, odorants both perceptually and structurally similar (androstenone and androstanone) displayed significant, mutual cross-adaptation. Furthermore, magnitude estimates for androstanone were significantly reduced following exposure to 3-methylidene-5 alpha-androstane (3M5A), a structurally similar, perceptually odorless compound. This finding appears to be the first demonstration that an odorless compound can affect, via cross-adaptation, the perception of an odorous compound. Finally, in Experiment 3, significant, asymmetric cross-adaptation was observed between compounds that are perceptually and structurally dissimilar (4-cyclohexylcyclohexanone [4-CHCH] and androstenone). These findings indicate that the role of similarity in cross-adaptation is difficult to quantify and emphasize the numerous odorant characteristics that can affect cross-adaptation.