Sensational Scents

Overview

Objectives/Goals Question: Can we trick our brain by adding colors to fragrances? Hypothesis: If we add different shades of green to six varied concentrations of a mint fragrance, then it will be harder for the subjects to put them in order based on concentration. Methods/Materials Procedure: 1. Mix six solutions of mint from weak to strong, and six shades of green, dark to light. 2. Have subjects smell each test tube and put in order according to scent. We have the darkest color with the weakest scent and the lightest color with the strongest scent (experimental group used colored solutions, and control used clear solutions). Materials: green food coloring; 2 test tube holders; mint extract; 12 test tubes; stopwatch; dropper; 100 subjects: 50 control, 50 experimental (5 male and 5 female per age group). Results We found that the number of correct placements according to scent for the control group was 89 and for the experimental group was 55 (out of 300 possible correct). Conclusions/Discussion Our results support our hypothesis. The control group averaged 1.78 correct placements per person and the experimental group's average was 1.10. We think that people use their eyesight to help them make sense of smell.

Competition history

• CSEF 2003 Behavioral Sciences · Entry J0305

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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