Journal of Psychological Science ›› 2025, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (2): 280-294.DOI: 10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20250203

• General Psychology, Experimental Psychology & Ergonomics • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Sniffing Out Originality? The Influence of Odors on the Evaluation of Creative Ideas

Xing Liangyu1,2, Yu Tingting1, Qiao Xinuo1, Hao Ning1,3   

  1. 1Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062 ;
    2Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117570;
    3Key Laboratory of Philosophy and Social Science of Anhui Province on Adolescent Mental Health and Crisis Intelligence Intervention, Hefei Normal University, Hefei, 230601
  • Online:2025-03-20 Published:2025-04-21

嗅出新颖性?气味对创造性观点评价的影响*

邢梁玉1,2, 于婷婷1, 乔熙诺1, 郝宁**1,3   

  1. 1华东师范大学心理与认知科学学院,上海市心理健康与危机干预重点实验室,上海,200062;
    2新加坡国立大学心理学院,新加坡,117570;
    3合肥师范学院,青少年心理健康与危机智能干预安徽省哲学社会科学重点实验室,合肥,230601
  • 通讯作者: **郝宁,E-mail: nhao@psy.ecnu.edu.cn
  • 基金资助:
    *本研究得到中央高校基本科研业务费专项资金资助项目的资助

Abstract: Olfaction serves as a critical channel through which humans interact with their environment. Extensive research has explored the effects of odors on psychological phenomena, including emotion, memory, and decision-making. However, its impact on creative thinking, particularly during the evaluation phase, remains underexplored. The evaluation of creative ideas is a pivotal stage in creative thinking, and understanding the role of odors may provide insights into how environmental factors may enhance creativity. This study aims to fill this gap by using Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) to investigate how odors influence the evaluation of creative ideas and the associated neurophysiological mechanisms.
Among natural odors, lavender and rosemary have been extensively studied for their psychological and physiological effects. Lavender is widely recognized for its relaxing properties, while rosemary is known to enhance alertness. In this study, these two odors were selected as olfactory stimuli to examine their different effects on creativity evaluation. A 3 (odors: air, rosemary, lavender) × 3 (novelty of ideas: low novelty, medium novelty, high novelty) mixed design was conducted: odors served as a between-subjects variable, while novelty of ideas served as a within-subjects variable. Ninety-one participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Air (n=30), Rosemary (n=31), and Lavender (n=30). Odors, derived from pure essential oils, were delivered via the Sniff-0 portable scent controller (CyNexo srl, Italy). Participants were asked to complete the Self-Assessment Manikin scale to measure the valence and arousal of their emotional states before and after the creative evaluation task. During the task, they rated the originality of ideas from three novelty levels (low, medium, and high). Brain activity was recorded using electroencephalography (EEG) during the evaluation process, and ERP data were analyzed to explore the neurophysiological correlates of odor-induced creativity modulation.
The behavioral results revealed a significant interaction between odors and novelty of ideas. Specifically, exposure to the rosemary scent significantly increased originality ratings for low-novelty ideas compared to the air condition. This effect is likely attributed to the alertness-inducing properties of rosemary. Mediation analysis revealed no evidence that emotional pathways mediated the effects of odors on creativity evaluation, suggesting that these effects are more directly related to cognitive processing rather than emotional changes.
The ERP results showed that odors significantly influenced brain activity during creative idea evaluation. In the N400 time window, novelty modulated amplitude patterns differently across odors conditions. In the air condition, highly novel ideas elicited larger N400 amplitudes compared to ideas with lower novelty, reinforcing the role of the N400 as a reliable neural marker for processing novel information. In the lavender condition, highly novel ideas induced significantly greater N400 amplitudes than medium- and low-novelty ideas. This effect may be attributed to the calming properties of lavender, which potentially “slowed” cognitive processing, leading to pronounced neural responses only for highly novel stimuli. A distinct pattern emerged in the rosemary condition, where medium-novelty ideas elicited the largest N400 amplitudes. This suggests that rosemary uniquely influenced the evaluation of novelty. Medium-novelty ideas, which are often perceived as both useful and original, may have prompted greater cognitive effort in participants who experienced heightened alertness from rosemary exposure. This increased attentional engagement could explain the amplified N400 responses observed for medium-novelty stimuli. For the late positive complex (LPC), differences emerged between the rosemary and air conditions in specific brain regions. In the frontal region, LPC amplitudes were more negative under rosemary condition and positive under air condition, whereas in the parietal region, LPC amplitudes were positive under rosemary condition and negative under air condition. These LPC variations, observed only between rosemary and air condition, may reflect lingering effects of N400 activity. Taken together, the N400 and LPC findings implicate that rosemary influenced cognitive processing throughout the evaluation process, extending beyond initial conflict detection.
Overall, odors influence how individuals evaluate creative ideas. The effects of rosemary appear to enhance arousal levels and regulate cognitive activity related to novelty processing, facilitating a sharper perception of originality. These findings have theoretical implications for understanding the mechanisms of creative evaluation and practical applications for using odors to enhance creative thinking. The study highlights the potential of sensory integration in creative practices and encourages further exploration of the complex interplay between sensory input and cognitive processes.

Key words: odors, evaluation of creative ideas, originality, N400, LPC

摘要: 嗅觉与情绪、认知等心理活动密切相关。研究采用事件相关电位技术,探索气味影响创造性观点评价的效应及神经关联。要求个体在三种气味(薰衣草、迷迭香、无味空气)条件下对一系列创造性观点的新颖性进行评价。行为结果显示,迷迭香显著提高个体对低新颖度观点的主观新颖性评分,但气味并非通过情绪中介来影响观点评价。脑电结果显示,在空气和薰衣草条件下,高新颖度观点引发最大的N400振幅;在迷迭香条件下,中新颖度观点引发最大的N400效应。迷迭香和空气条件下的晚期正成分振幅在额叶和顶叶区存在显著差异。上述结果表明,在创造性观点评价时,迷迭香能够调节大脑对新颖信息的认知加工活动,从而提高个体对低创造性观点的新颖性评价。

关键词: 气味, 创造性观点评价, 新颖性, N400, LPC