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

Xing Liangyu; Yu Tingting; Qiao Xinuo; Hao Ning

doi:10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20250203

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

General Psychology, Experimental Psychology & Ergonomics

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

Xing Liangyu^1,2, Yu Tingting¹, Qiao Xinuo¹, Hao Ning^1,3

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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

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Xing Liangyu, Yu Tingting, Qiao Xinuo, Hao Ning. Sniffing Out Originality? The Influence of Odors on the Evaluation of Creative Ideas[J]. Journal of Psychological Science. 2025, 48(2): 280-294 https://doi.org/10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20250203

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