1. Improved Performance on Clerical Tasks Associated with Administration of Peppermint Odor
- Author
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Pamela Grayhem, Shannon Barker, Jessica Perkins, Allison Whalen, Jerrod Koon, and Bryan Raudenbush
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Experimental and Cognitive Psychology ,Audiology ,050105 experimental psychology ,Memorization ,Task (project management) ,Arousal ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,0501 psychology and cognitive sciences ,Occupations ,musculoskeletal, neural, and ocular physiology ,05 social sciences ,Mentha piperita ,030229 sport sciences ,Sensory Systems ,Improved performance ,Odor ,Odorants ,Employee Performance Appraisal ,Female ,Psychology ,Social psychology ,Psychomotor Performance ,psychological phenomena and processes - Abstract
Previous research indicates the presence of certain odors is associated with enhanced task performance. The present study investigated use of peppermint odor during typing performance, memorization, and alphabetization. Participants completed the protocol twice—once with peppermint odor present and once without. Analysis indicated significant differences in the gross speed, net speed, and accuracy on the typing task, with odor associated with improved performance. Alphabetization also improved significantly under the odor condition but not typing duration or memorization. These results suggest peppermint odor may promote a general arousal of attention, so participants stay focused on their task and increase performance.
- Published
- 2003