SmellSpace: An Odor-Based Social Network as a Platform for Collecting Olfactory Perceptual Data.

SmellSpace: An Odor-Based Social Network as a Platform for Collecting Olfactory Perceptual Data. Chem Senses. 2019 Mar 11;: Authors: Snitz K, Perl O, Honigstein D, Secundo L, Ravia A, Yablonka A, Endevelt-Shapira Y, Sobel N Abstract A common goal in olfaction research is modeling the link between odorant structure and odor perception. Such modeling efforts require large datasets on olfactory perception, yet only a few of these are publicly and freely available. Given that individual odor perception may be informative on personal makeup and interpersonal relationships, we hypothesized that people would gladly provide olfactory perceptual estimates in the context of an odor-based social network. We developed a web-based infrastructure for such a network we called SmellSpace, and distributed 10,000 scratch-and-sniff registration booklets each containing a subset of 12 out of 35 microencapsulated odorants. Within ~100 days, we obtained data from ~1000 participants who rated the odorants along 13 verbal descriptors. To verify that these estimates are comparable to lab-collected estimates we tested 26 participants in a controlled lab setting using the same odorants and descriptors. We observed remarkably high overall group correlations between lab and SmellSpace data, implying that this method provides for credible group-representations of odorants. We further estimated the usability of the data by applying to it two previously published m...
Source: Chemical Senses - Category: Biochemistry Authors: Tags: Chem Senses Source Type: research