5 ms·

If You Can't Smell Him, Can You Love Him?

65 points by pmcpinto 11y ago

DanBC 11y ago
Here's a BBC Radio Four programme about various forms of anosmia. It includes a woman who can't smell her partner, and she misses that, and realises that smell is often mentioned by bereaved people as being a powerful trigger for memories. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b076cg3n http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b076cg3n (I have no idea what bits of the BBC are geo-blocked. Sorry if this isn't available.)
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
sixhobbits 11y ago
"In experiments, volunteers who sniffed sweat samples from people experiencing certain feelings, such as fear or disgust, felt those emotions themselves. When volunteers smelled the odor of disgusted people, their lips curled just as they do when smelling something disgusting, says Dalton" Interesting article. I'm curious as to how much reliable research has been done into contagious emotions. It sounds a bit farfetched the way they describe it in the quote above. The idea is talked about in a Live Science article too [0], but also not much detail is given. I haven't read much about it, but it sounds like one of those single paper non-reproduced ideas that's interesting enough on its own for people to keep talking about it. Does anyone who knows more about this than me have other opinions? [0] http://m.livescience.com/24578-humans-smell-fear.html http://m.livescience.com/24578-humans-smell-fear.html
- PepeGomez 11y ago
  I would like to know how well it works with autistic people.
nkrisc 11y ago
I can't find the source, but I read about a study done with women where they smelled sweaty shirts from unrelated men or their brothers or fathers. Across the board they rated the shirts from their blood relatives as smelling worse than the others. The theory was that people with different genetics have different makeups of microbes living on their skin, making them smell different than you. I like the way my wife smells, and we certainly share no relatives for many, many generations.
- wshing 11y ago
  This is the paper - http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/260/1359/245 http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/260/1359/245
- Cyph0n 11y ago
  Oh damn, and I'm engaged to an indirect relative haha!
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- aaron695 11y ago
  I think this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-drpViV5LSw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-drpViV5LSw
- losty 11y ago
  I'm curious if there is a similar relationship with farts. I find those of my family particularly unpleasant.
  - pboutros 11y ago
    I, for one, would fund this study, if only for the joy of knowing that it is occurring.
- thesz 11y ago
  I need to point to this result: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080207140855.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080207140855.h... "Third Cousins Have Greatest Number Of Offspring, Data From Iceland Shows" Because some of studies (of smell) contradict with others (on fertility).
Geekette 11y ago
I think the concept of “emotional contagion” is a stretch. I simply do not believe that empirically[1], people who smell sweat excreted by frightened people will also feel fear. Disgust as general reaction to all sweat samples is more believable because sweat is generally viewed as an unpleasant smell. The notion that you are lacking an entire layer of communication when you do not have a sense of smell is also subjective, especially when it comes to those born without it; you can't miss what you don't know. Also other senses tend to compensate, i.e. when some blind people report heightened sense of hearing. [1] Lack of discussion of sample size makes me think it wasn't representative in size or demographics.
- ASpring 11y ago
  You should at least do cursory research before dismissing an idea entirely. Start with these and look at refs: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0005987 http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.... https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Guen_Semin/publication/231225277_Chemosignals_Communicate_Human_Emotions/links/02e7e518215711d679000000.pdf https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Guen_Semin/publication/...
  - Geekette 11y ago
    The onus is on the publisher to include key data like sample size and cite sources on an article presenting such claims. EDIT On skimming the links you gave, I find that the samples and the researchers' conclusion in each study do not constitute representative samples and empirical evidence for this “emotional contagion” theory, respectively. Both studies also focused on only 1-2 types of emotion (fear, anxiety), which cannot be extrapolated to all emotions. APS published study: Sweat from 10 males + reactions from 36 females. PLOS published study: Sweat from 49 people (28 males 21 females between 20–37, European origin) + reactions from 28 people (14 males and 14 females between 19–30 years).
    - ASpring 11y ago
      I agree, the onus is definitely on the publisher to make sure the claims they make are statistically sound. However you're going to lose most of your casual audience if you focus on the statistics. You need to go to the source for that. See reply to pak wrt to sample size. "Support" does not mean "prove". How can you say it doesn't support the idea of emotional contagion when the studies indicate an effect for at least two emotions. Is there more work to be done? Definitely. But these are first steps.
ondeodiff 11y ago
There's been plenty of research on the role olfactory sense play on sexual attraction. It's totally not surprising. If you look at the animal kingdom, scent is a key detector for ovulaton cycles, etc. Here's an old one from NIH ..http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1885393/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1885393/
aaron695 11y ago
Another reason why the bullshit about working remotely is 'great' is not that simple. Smell is an important part of the workplace. So is touch and 3d vision.
- reviseddamage 11y ago
  wot?
  - aaron695 11y ago
    Smell is an important part of human interactions. Sex is talked about a lot but it's more than that. Work is not about being robots. It's very strongly tied to human interactions. Which, as these studies show includes smell. Which is not available online.
    - mrits 11y ago
      We really shouldn't be smelling or touching at work.
      - aaron695 11y ago
        Scientific studies have looked at, for instance cashiers touching customers when money was handed back The customer rated the employee higher if touch was involved. So in the real world, it helps. You can be an employee as you see fit. Just talking about the science.
        deleted 11y ago
        [deleted]
        nommm-nommm 11y ago
        Unsolicited touches from strangers is always a very negative interaction for me. Don't do it. A colleague better not be touching me unless they were performing some sort of life saving measure.
- 11y ago
PepeGomez 11y ago
Is there any research into how well this works in Autistic people, especially aspergers? Maybe the problem is the lack of ability to smell emotion and people missing this feedback are unable to learn how to spot emotions through other means.
- nibs 11y ago
  If this were true, people without autism would not be able to apply theory of mind to actors on TV and in movies. Because people with autism lack theory of mind towards others in real life and in media, and those without it have it in both, smell cannot be related. It could play a small role, though.
  - PepeGomez 10y ago
    Don't people with Aspergers lack the ability to understand other people's emotions, rather than lacking theory of mind completely? It's not just the ability itslf, it's the training it provides. Normal children get a near immediate feedback if they guessed emotions correctly. It's like having somebody with you 24/7 telling you how the people around you feel. Those without the ability don't have that luxury.
    - nibs 10y ago
      For my brother and father it is more like they understand emotions in themselves, and that other people feel emotions similarly, but have trouble identifying them or why they are happening in others because it is harder to take another person's perspective. Once they know that the person is upset, they empathize and feel bad, so they can in fact understand the person, but they could not guess that there was a problem withoute explicitly spelling it out, and could not derive it from any non-verbal cues.
      - PepeGomez 10y ago
        Which is exactly what I was talking about.

65 points by pmcpinto 11y ago

DanBC 11y ago

Here's a BBC Radio Four programme about various forms of anosmia. It includes a woman who can't smell her partner, and she misses that, and realises that smell is often mentioned by bereaved people as being a powerful trigger for memories. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b076cg3n http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b076cg3n (I have no idea what bits of the BBC are geo-blocked. Sorry if this isn't available.)

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]

sixhobbits 11y ago

"In experiments, volunteers who sniffed sweat samples from people experiencing certain feelings, such as fear or disgust, felt those emotions themselves. When volunteers smelled the odor of disgusted people, their lips curled just as they do when smelling something disgusting, says Dalton" Interesting article. I'm curious as to how much reliable research has been done into contagious emotions. It sounds a bit farfetched the way they describe it in the quote above. The idea is talked about in a Live Science article too [0], but also not much detail is given. I haven't read much about it, but it sounds like one of those single paper non-reproduced ideas that's interesting enough on its own for people to keep talking about it. Does anyone who knows more about this than me have other opinions? [0] http://m.livescience.com/24578-humans-smell-fear.html http://m.livescience.com/24578-humans-smell-fear.html

PepeGomez 11y ago
I would like to know how well it works with autistic people.

nkrisc 11y ago

I can't find the source, but I read about a study done with women where they smelled sweaty shirts from unrelated men or their brothers or fathers. Across the board they rated the shirts from their blood relatives as smelling worse than the others. The theory was that people with different genetics have different makeups of microbes living on their skin, making them smell different than you. I like the way my wife smells, and we certainly share no relatives for many, many generations.

wshing 11y ago
This is the paper - http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/260/1359/245 http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/260/1359/245
Cyph0n 11y ago
Oh damn, and I'm engaged to an indirect relative haha!
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
aaron695 11y ago
I think this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-drpViV5LSw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-drpViV5LSw
losty 11y ago
I'm curious if there is a similar relationship with farts. I find those of my family particularly unpleasant.
- pboutros 11y ago
  I, for one, would fund this study, if only for the joy of knowing that it is occurring.
thesz 11y ago
I need to point to this result: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080207140855.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080207140855.h... "Third Cousins Have Greatest Number Of Offspring, Data From Iceland Shows" Because some of studies (of smell) contradict with others (on fertility).

Geekette 11y ago

I think the concept of “emotional contagion” is a stretch. I simply do not believe that empirically[1], people who smell sweat excreted by frightened people will also feel fear. Disgust as general reaction to all sweat samples is more believable because sweat is generally viewed as an unpleasant smell. The notion that you are lacking an entire layer of communication when you do not have a sense of smell is also subjective, especially when it comes to those born without it; you can't miss what you don't know. Also other senses tend to compensate, i.e. when some blind people report heightened sense of hearing. [1] Lack of discussion of sample size makes me think it wasn't representative in size or demographics.

ASpring 11y ago
You should at least do cursory research before dismissing an idea entirely. Start with these and look at refs: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0005987 http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.... https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Guen_Semin/publication/231225277_Chemosignals_Communicate_Human_Emotions/links/02e7e518215711d679000000.pdf https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Guen_Semin/publication/...
- Geekette 11y ago
  The onus is on the publisher to include key data like sample size and cite sources on an article presenting such claims. EDIT On skimming the links you gave, I find that the samples and the researchers' conclusion in each study do not constitute representative samples and empirical evidence for this “emotional contagion” theory, respectively. Both studies also focused on only 1-2 types of emotion (fear, anxiety), which cannot be extrapolated to all emotions. APS published study: Sweat from 10 males + reactions from 36 females. PLOS published study: Sweat from 49 people (28 males 21 females between 20–37, European origin) + reactions from 28 people (14 males and 14 females between 19–30 years).
  - ASpring 11y ago
    I agree, the onus is definitely on the publisher to make sure the claims they make are statistically sound. However you're going to lose most of your casual audience if you focus on the statistics. You need to go to the source for that. See reply to pak wrt to sample size. "Support" does not mean "prove". How can you say it doesn't support the idea of emotional contagion when the studies indicate an effect for at least two emotions. Is there more work to be done? Definitely. But these are first steps.

ondeodiff 11y ago

There's been plenty of research on the role olfactory sense play on sexual attraction. It's totally not surprising. If you look at the animal kingdom, scent is a key detector for ovulaton cycles, etc. Here's an old one from NIH ..http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1885393/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1885393/

aaron695 11y ago

Another reason why the bullshit about working remotely is 'great' is not that simple. Smell is an important part of the workplace. So is touch and 3d vision.

reviseddamage 11y ago
wot?
- aaron695 11y ago
  Smell is an important part of human interactions. Sex is talked about a lot but it's more than that. Work is not about being robots. It's very strongly tied to human interactions. Which, as these studies show includes smell. Which is not available online.
  - mrits 11y ago
    We really shouldn't be smelling or touching at work.
    - aaron695 11y ago
      Scientific studies have looked at, for instance cashiers touching customers when money was handed back The customer rated the employee higher if touch was involved. So in the real world, it helps. You can be an employee as you see fit. Just talking about the science.
      - deleted 11y ago
        [deleted]
      - nommm-nommm 11y ago
        Unsolicited touches from strangers is always a very negative interaction for me. Don't do it. A colleague better not be touching me unless they were performing some sort of life saving measure.
11y ago

PepeGomez 11y ago

Is there any research into how well this works in Autistic people, especially aspergers? Maybe the problem is the lack of ability to smell emotion and people missing this feedback are unable to learn how to spot emotions through other means.

nibs 11y ago
If this were true, people without autism would not be able to apply theory of mind to actors on TV and in movies. Because people with autism lack theory of mind towards others in real life and in media, and those without it have it in both, smell cannot be related. It could play a small role, though.
- PepeGomez 10y ago
  Don't people with Aspergers lack the ability to understand other people's emotions, rather than lacking theory of mind completely? It's not just the ability itslf, it's the training it provides. Normal children get a near immediate feedback if they guessed emotions correctly. It's like having somebody with you 24/7 telling you how the people around you feel. Those without the ability don't have that luxury.
  - nibs 10y ago
    For my brother and father it is more like they understand emotions in themselves, and that other people feel emotions similarly, but have trouble identifying them or why they are happening in others because it is harder to take another person's perspective. Once they know that the person is upset, they empathize and feel bad, so they can in fact understand the person, but they could not guess that there was a problem withoute explicitly spelling it out, and could not derive it from any non-verbal cues.
    - PepeGomez 10y ago
      Which is exactly what I was talking about.