Abstract
Certain colors are seen as corresponding to, and thus appropriate to, certain odors (e.g., red for cherry odor). When colors accompany odors, our perceptions of the odors are changed. Appropriate colors often affect our perception of the odors differently from inappropriate colors. This paper discusses the literature on color–odor correspondences including possible causes of these correspondences. It then reviews findings on the influence of color on odor identification, odor discrimination, odor intensity, and odor pleasantness. Color's effect on both orthonasal and retronasal olfaction is discussed. A model for how color exerts its effects on odor is proposed.
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Acknowledgments
The author thanks Matthew Forsythe for his help with library research; Nancy Greene, Monica Jimenez, Daniel Neblock, and Arturo Calderon for their help with data collection; Mimi Sheraton and Jacques Torres for providing candy; and Scott Parker for his editorial comments.
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Zellner, D.A. Color–Odor Interactions: A Review and Model. Chem. Percept. 6, 155–169 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12078-013-9154-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12078-013-9154-z