How Smells Affect Our Brain and Behavior

-

 



Smells have a powerful effect on our brain because the part that processes smell is closely connected to areas that control emotions and memories. Unlike other senses, smell signals go straight to the brain’s emotional center (the amygdala) and memory center (the hippocampus) without first going through the usual relay station. This direct link is why a certain smell, like freshly baked cookies or your grandma’s perfume, can instantly bring back strong feelings or memories.

This connection also means smells can influence how we feel and behave. For example, the smell of coffee might wake you up and make you feel alert, while the scent of lavender can help calm you down after a stressful day. Studies show pleasant smells can reduce stress and improve focus, while bad smells might make people feel anxious or distracted (Herz, 2016).

Smells can also become linked to habits and cravings through classical conditioning. For instance, if someone alwaysdrinks alcohol in a bar that smells a certain way, just smelling that scent again later can trigger cravings for a drink,even if they’re not thirsty. Similarly, the smell of fresh popcorn at the movies can make you want to buy a snack,because your brain has learned to associate that smell with eating popcorn. Because of how powerful smells are,they’re sometimes used in therapy to improve mood or reduce anxiety, and companies use scent marketing toinfluence shopping behavior.

Reference-
   Herz, R. S. (2016). The Role of Odor-Evoked Memory in Psychological and Physiological Health. Brain Sciences.

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/6/3/22

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Operant Conditioning in Disney Movies

-
Image
I always liked Disney movies and I have never noticed that they used operant conditioning. In the video they use positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, and negative punishment. The movies that they talk about are Toy Story, Cinderella, Inside Out, and Lion King. This video made me think about other movies that use operant conditioning, and when I watch another movie I will try to notice these little things. Cinderella uses positive reinforcement by if Cinderella does her chores she gets to go to the ball. Toy Story uses negative reinforcement by how Woody removes Buzz so that Andy will continue his behavior in choosing Woody to play with. Lion King uses positive punishment by when Rafiki hits Simba on the head from stopping Simba from thinking about the past. Inside Out uses negative punishment by Riley's dad taking away dessert to stop her from crying about eating broccoli. This video made me understand reinforcement and punishment better and the di...
Read more

The Influence of Social Media on Adolescent Mental Health

-
Social media's impact on teenage mental health is a crucial area where developmental psychology and contemporary technology converge. Teenagers can explore their identities and engage in social interaction on platforms like Instagram and TikTok, but these platforms also bring in complexity that can negatively affect mental health. Studies highlight how frequent use of social media can exacerbate problems including low self-esteem and anxiety, which are frequently caused by comparisons with idealized online identities and exposure to cyberbullying. These relationships are consistent with social psychology theories that highlight how social factors shape people's behavior and mental health consequences.                A critical assessment of this influence demands preventative actions to minimize possible risks while maximizing social media's advantages. In order to help teenagers develop resilience-building skills and digital literacy, educat...
Read more

Social Learning Theory

-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mhe6p3Xkzt0 Social Learning Theory- the view people learn by observing others. I shared a video clip from the movie, Big Daddy, to show an example of social learning theory. You develop behaviors, views, and attitudes from social context. In this clip, you see how the little boy develops the same behavior as his mentor. Who does inappropriate behavior that feeds off to the little kid. Psychologist, Albert Bandura, assimilted two theories into four different requirements for learning - observation (environmental), retention (cognitive), reproduction (cognitive), and motivation (both).
Read more