Implicit Associations of Herbal or Fruity Cosmetic and Room Scents with a Relaxing or Refreshing Effect

Emotional effects of product scents are increasingly being advertised on the packaging of cosmetics. In fact, there are various odors that have psychophysiological effects on people. These effects may already be subconsciously associated with specific smells, potentially amplifying their true impact. In this study, we used a variation of the implicit association test (IAT) to investigate whether odors of either fruity or herbal smelling commercial products evoke stronger associations with refreshing or relaxing adjectives. It was found that the participants needed significantly less time to assign emotional adjectives to the effect categories when the category ‘fruity’ was combined with ‘refreshing’ and ‘planty, non-fruity’ with ‘relaxing’. In addition, the error frequencies in the IAT were lower for these combinations. This indicates cognitive associations of certain odors with refreshing or relaxing effects. The data can provide valuable insights for product development and marketing, aiding in the selection of appropriate fragrance claims or scent choices aligned with desired emotional effects. However, we were able to identify differences between the odors within an odor category as well as individual differences. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the specific associations of a target audience more closely to optimize consumer acceptance and purchasing behavior for a given product.