Odor Sensation and Memory - Hardcover

by Trygg Engen (Author)

Our sense of smell, as Trygg Engen reminds us early in this definitive work, has been neglected as a research area. This neglect belies the very critical role that the sense plays in human adaptation to the environment through the monitoring of odors. Smell is learned through experience and results, Engen maintains, in a schema of memory system that enables individuals to process and categorize odors. There are closer relationships between the individual detecting an odor, the circumstances or environment, and the reaction of pleasure or aversion than with the other senses. When future occasions present the same or similar odors, memory will bring back the early experience and directly affect the reaction to the new stimuli. Engen sees odor perception as mainly psychological, unlike the traditional approach which sees the sense largely as an innate mechanism with a direct physiological basis. The research underlying this book is the most current in sensory cognition, reminding the reader of the importance of the sense of smell through examples of what deprivation entails.

Author Biography

TRYGG ENGEN is Professor of Psychology at Brown University. He is an eminent authority in sensory perception--most particularly in the area of odor perception. He has received much international recognition, including an honorary doctorate from a Swedish university where he also conducts research and teaches.