Smell is an important sense that determines how we perceive a lot of things. It is very strongly linked to emotions and is often used in literature to communicate a certain atmosphere. With “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer” (Das Parfum, Patrick Sueskind) even a whole book is devoted to the power of smells.
Scientists have shown that scent is an important factor in animal communication and experiments suggest that even humans communicate emotions like fear and disgust through smell.
Smells also plays an important role in choosing potential mating partners. For example the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) – which plays an important role in the immune system – has an influence on body odor. It has been shown, that odor preference is based on MHC-dissimilarity, potentially leading to an offspring with a stronger immune system.
This of course means that the attractiveness of a scent always depends on the person who perceives it. So, whatever the deodorant ads are telling us – a universal formula for an irresistible smell has not yet been discovered.
– David Huesmann
Read More:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200910/the-smell-love
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121105140407.htm
J. Havlicek, S. C. Roberts, Psychoneuroendocrinology 2009, 34, 497–512.