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Does Length of Sampling Affect Quality of Body Odor Samples?

  • Published:
Chemosensory Perception

Abstract

A number of recent studies use body odor samples to study how odor affects various human social interactions. However, the methods used vary considerably, and only limited attention has been paid to the validity of the particular approaches adopted. One of the crucial points in body odor sampling is its length. Here we report the results of a study that tested the effects of using two different sampling periods, namely 12 and 24 h, on subsequent odor perception. Our results show significantly higher ratings of pleasantness and attractiveness, and lower ratings of intensity and masculinity, for the 12-h sampling condition. Further analysis of the data distribution suggests higher skew and a potential floor effect in hedonic ratings derived from the 24-h condition. These data imply that sampling length has a significant impact on perceived body odor quality and should thus be considered when designing studies in this area and in interpretation of results across studies.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all the volunteers for their participation, Jindra Havlíčková for proof-reading, and two anonymous reviewers for constructive comments on the previous versions of the manuscript. The study was supported by Grant Agency of Charles University (GAUK 55108/2008), Grant Agency of Czech Republic (GACR P407/10/1303), and Czech Ministry of Education grant 0021620843.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University, Husníkova 2075, 158 00, Prague 13, Czech Republic

    Jan Havlíček & Pavlína Lenochová

  2. Department of Anthropology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Elisabeth Oberzaucher & Karl Grammer

  3. School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland, UK

    S. Craig Roberts

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  1. Jan Havlíček
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  2. Pavlína Lenochová
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  3. Elisabeth Oberzaucher
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  4. Karl Grammer
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  5. S. Craig Roberts
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Correspondence to Jan Havlíček.

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Havlíček, J., Lenochová, P., Oberzaucher, E. et al. Does Length of Sampling Affect Quality of Body Odor Samples?. Chem. Percept. 4, 186–194 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12078-011-9104-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12078-011-9104-6

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