Open AccessThe structure of olfactory experience
Author(s) -
Slobodan Marković,
Jelena Vulin
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
psihologija
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.222
H-Index - 16
eISSN - 1451-9283
pISSN - 0048-5705
DOI - 10.2298/psi0801021m
Subject(s) - varimax rotation , closeness , psychology , set (abstract data type) , variance (accounting) , rank (graph theory) , cognitive psychology , mathematics , developmental psychology , computer science , combinatorics , psychometrics , mathematical analysis , cronbach's alpha , accounting , business , programming language
In this study the structure of olfactory experience was investigated. Olfactory experience was defined by a set of attributes, i.e. elementary dimensions, which were specified empirically using Osgood's Semantic Differential methodology. A set of 42 7-step scales were generated (36 bipolar and 7 monololar scales). 20 subjects judged 10 olfactory stimuli on this set of scales. The stimuli were specified in a preliminary study so as to cover the widest possible range of olfactory experience. Factor analysis with Varimax rotation revealed four factors, i.e. basic dimensions of olfactory experience (1) Affective factor (scales: beautiful, attractive, pleasant, etc), (2) Potency (scales: stable, impressive, strong, sharp, etc), (3) Closeness (scales: natural, warm, close, female, etc) and (4) The gustatory factor (scales: hot, sour, bitter, etc). The results have shown the primacy of Affective factor (circa 43% variance explained) in respect to the other factors (the other three factors in sum explained about 20% of the variance)