Abstract
Magnitude matchings of odor intensity were obtained for three chemical compounds (hydrogen sulfide, pyridine, and dimethyl disulfide) in four experiments. An equal-sensation function in the form of a power function described the data well. This equation can be written neglecting the multiplicative constant, Фi = Фk b ik, where i and k represent two different odorants. The exponent bik, where the first index stands for matching continuum and the second index for reference continuum, was fairly well predicted according to the formulae, (ie, 264, 2) where i, j, and k are three different odorants. The results validate the equal-sensation function and indicate implicitly that intensity matchings between different intramodal continua are approximately transitive and symmetric with respect to odor.
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The investigation was supported by grants from the Swedish Environment Protection Board and the Folksam Research Board and by a grant to B. Berglund from the Swedish Council for Social Science Research.
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Svensson, L.T., Lindvall, T. On the consistency of intramodal intensity matching in olfaction. Perception & Psychophysics 16, 264–270 (1974). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03203940
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03203940