Companies are becoming more aware of the importance of good air quality to the health and well being of their customers and employees. But air quality and smell can also remarkable influence on the emotional and cognitive processes of the people within a building as well.
EFFECT ON CONCENTRATION
Indoor Air Quality has been shown to have a dramatic affect on the concentration of people within an office setting. One such study of clerical workers, which appeared in Indoor Air 99: The Eighth International Conference on Indoor Air Quality and Climate, showed IAQ effecting typing speed by 6.5 percent, typing errors by 5 percent, basic math by 3.8 percent and scores on reasoning and logic tests by 3 to 4 percent.
“Scent is an important indicator of good air quality,” said Mark Wincent, director of development for Sparks Technology, Inc. “Usually indoor air quality issues are first identified through complaints of a stale or stuffy odor.”
Ambient odors can also have an effect on concentration and memory tasks. In fact, memory for odor is markedly resistant to time, easily accessed and tends to be characterized by a high degree of emotion, clarity and vividness. Memory recall tends to be better when the subject is exposed to the same odor at encoding and at recall than in a situation that had no odors.
“We understand the power that scent has on cognitive ability,” said Wincent, adding that, as a filter company, Sparks is concerned with removing smells, not adding them. “Scents can also be associated with negative memories. A building owner has no way of knowing what type of memories a buildings’ occupants associate with specific smells.”
EFFECT ON EMOTION
Scents can be manipulated to create and eliminate emotional responses as well.
There are an estimated 30 to 40 million people who are so afraid of dental treatment that they avoid it altogether. A large number of these people report that their anxiety is heightened (or triggered) by the smell inside of their dentists’ offices. Removing the smell may be one way to help dentaphobes deal with their anxiety.
A recent study by the neurological Clinic at the University of Vienna, used an ambient orange odor in dentist waiting rooms. The study looked at 72 patients between the ages of 22 and 57 and discovered that those that were exposed to the orange odor had a lower level of anxiety, a more positive mood and higher level of calmness, than those who were not exposed.
The use of smell as a marketing tool is not new. Manufacturers have long enhanced their products with “new spring fresh scents” and the like.
“We’ve all baked cookies or simmered potpourri just prior to showing our home to potential buyers,” said Wincent. “This is the same concept behind the so-called ‘atmospheric’ studies which look at the effect environment has on shopping.”
Results of studies that look at the effect scent has on a shoppers experience are mixed. In general, however, research has shown that smells that are considered both pleasant and complimentary to the products and environment promote a more pleasant shopping experience and increased sales. It is a simple logical extension that removing unpleasant or conflicting odors would have a similar effect on buying habits.
“In short,” said Wincent, “you never know what memories or emotions certain scents evoke in your customers. Your safest bet is to remove any unpleasant odor, so it doesn’t harm your business.”
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