Sex Differences in Odor Hedonic Perception: An Overview

Autor: Charlotte Bontempi, Laurence Jacquot, Gérard Brand
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Zdroj: Frontiers in Neuroscience, Vol 15 (2021)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1662-453X
DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.764520
Popis: Odor hedonic evaluation (pleasant/unpleasant) is considered as the first and one of the most prominent dimension in odor perception. While sex differences in human olfaction have been extensively explored, gender effect in hedonic perception appears to be less considered. However, a number of studies have included comparisons between men and women, using different types of measurements (psychophysical, psychophysiological,…). This overview presents experimental works with non-specific and body odors separately presented as well as experimental studies comparing healthy participants vs patients with psychiatric disorders. Contrary to sensitivity, identification or discrimination, the overall literature tends to prove that no so clear differences occur in odor hedonic judgment between men and women. On the whole, gender effect appears more marked for body than non-specific odors and is almost never reported in psychiatric diseases. These findings are discussed in relation to the processes classically implied in pleasantness rating and emotional processes.
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