QuintEssence:A Probe Study to Explore the Power of Smell on Emotions, Memories, and Body Image in Daily Life

Previous research has shown the influence of smell on emotions, memories, and body image. However, most of this work has taken place in laboratory settings and little is known about the influence of smell in real-world environments. In this article, we present novel insights gained from a field study investigating the emotional effect of smell on memories and body image. Taking inspiration from the cultural design probes approach, we designed QuintEssence, a probe package that includes three scents and materials to complete three tasks over a period of four weeks. Here, we describe the design of QuintEssence and the main findings based on the outcomes of the three tasks and a final individual interview. The findings show similar results between participants based on the scent. For example, with cinnamon, participants experienced feelings of warmth, coziness, happiness, and relaxation; they recalled blurred memories of past moments about themselves and reported a general feeling of being calm and peaceful towards their bodies. Our findings open up new design spaces for multisensory experiences and inspire future qualitative explorations beyond laboratory boundaries.</p

QuintEssence: A Probe Study to Explore the Power of Smell on Emotions, Memories, and Body Image in Daily Life

Previous research has shown the influence of smell on emotions, memories, and body image. However, most of this work has taken place in laboratory settings and little is known about the influence of smell in real-world environments. In this paper, we present novel insights gained from a field study investigating the emotional effect of smell on memories and body image. Taking inspiration from the cultural design probes approach, we designed QuintEssence, a probe package that includes three scents and materials to complete three tasks over a period of four weeks. Here, we describe the design of QuintEssence and the main findings based on the outcomes of the three tasks and a final individual interview. The findings show similar results between participants based on the scent. For example, with cinnamon, participants experienced feelings of warmth, coziness, happiness, and relaxation; they recalled blurred memories of past moments about themselves and reported a general feeling of being calm and peaceful towards their bodies. Our findings open up new design spaces for multisensory experiences and inspire future qualitative explorations beyond laboratory boundaries

Sound localization in web-based 3D environments

Sound delivery is a key aspect of immersivity in virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), with studies hinting at a correlation between users’ ability to locate sounds around them and the ‘feeling of being there’. This is particularly true for WebVR, a method of delivering immersive experiences through a local web browser that has recently captured attention in multiple industries. In WebVR, audio is the main spatial cue. Designers need to select the correct number of sound sources so that users perceive the location of incoming sound correctly. Information on how users localize sound is essential. Sound localization experiments, so far, have been run only in empty spaces or closed rooms, without clear indications for designers in WebVR. Thus, in this study, we investigate sound localization directly through WebVR. To do so, we designed a traditional empty room for training and a city-like virtual environment for testing purposes. In our paper, we also discuss key design parameters, differences in perception for vertical and horizontal directions, the impact of training, and the role of changing virtual environments. In addition, we introduce and test a new sound cue along with the traditional pink noise sound to measure and explore the impact of different sound cues in different environments. The results demonstrate the potential of exploring sound localization using WebVR, and our study will support the development of virtual experiences in human-computer interaction that may be able to reach a large number of participants using a local web browser

CARoma therapy: pleasant scents promote safer driving, better mood, and improved well-being in angry drivers

Driving is a task that is often affected by emotions. The effect of emotions on driving has been extensively studied. Anger is an emotion that dominates in such investigations. Despite the knowledge on strong links between scents and emotions, few studies have explored the effect of olfactory stimulation in a context of driving. Such an outcome provides HCI practitioners very little knowledge on how to design for emotions using olfactory stimulation in the car. We carried out three studies to select scents of different valence and arousal levels (i.e. rose, peppermint, and civet) and anger eliciting stimuli (i.e. affective pictures and on-road events). We used this knowledge to conduct the fourth user study investigating how the selected scents change the emotional state, well-being, and driving behaviour of drivers in an induced angry state. Our findings enable better decisions on what scents to choose when designing interactions for angry drivers

Nose Gym: An Interactive Smell Training Solution

When was the last time you had your sense of smell checked? Smell is one of the most neglected senses in daily life and in HCI. In Europe and the USA, around 22% of the general adult population has some form of smell dysfunction. This number rises to 75% for people aged between 70–80 years and negatively impacts peoples’ quality of life and well-being. Regular smell training can make a difference. Today, smell training is done by sniffing essential oils in jars or scented pens. Based on advances in digital technology, we present a new interactive smell training solution to help people train their nose. At CHI, users will have a chance to try out the scent-delivery device and companion App at the ‘Nose Gym’ booth. We will combine the interactivity with additional information on the I-smell project that is using this digital smell training solution in a real-world deployment to establish a culture of care for our sense of smell

Exploration of the effect of scents on body Image perception in human-computer interaction

This doctoral thesis is centred around the investigation of how individuals perceive and experience scents in relation to their Body Image Perception (BIP) by harnessing advances in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) methodologies and technologies.BIP, encompassing the perceptual and cognitive-emotional aspects of one’s body perception and feelings toward it, has been extensively studied in psychology, particularly to comprehend conditions linked to body misperception and dissatisfaction. Consequently, exploring BIP is inherently intricate.In the realm of HCI, there exists a knowledge gap when it comes to understanding how sensory stimuli influence BIP and emotional states. Nonetheless, this gap is narrowing due to advances in technology, methodologies, and the growing interest in multisensory experiences.While the associations between BIP and other sensory modalities are well-established, the connection between BIP and the sense of smell remains relatively uncharted. Previous studies have predominantly focused on visual, tactile, and more recently, auditory stimuli in relation to BIP. Given the significant role of scents in daily life, affecting emotions, memories, and social interactions, investigating how individuals experience scents concerning BIP is a logical progression.The latest advances in HCI offer a more comprehensive understanding of BIP dynamics and provide controlled mechanisms for scent delivery. In this thesis, six empirical studies approach this association between BIP and scents from diverse perspectives, employing controlled laboratory environments, real-world scenarios, and online platforms.In summary, this thesis delivers a three-fold contribution to the HCI domain. Firstly, it introduces a novel and distinctive approach by blending this research question with methodologies drawn from previous HCI explorations. Secondly, the diversified study settings and methodologies provide a comprehensive view of the topic, leaving numerous avenues open for future investigations. Thirdly, this thesis initiates discussions and reflections on future opportunities to design multisensory digital solutions, devices, interfaces, and experiences targeted at enhancing BIP in the realm of HCI. Potential applications include but are not limited to fashion design, consumer behaviour, healthcare, art installations, and entertainment, all of which can benefit from the insights generated by this thesis.Ultimately, this doctoral thesis serves as an initial step in a long journey aimed at exploring and improving individuals’ body satisfaction by inspiring advances in multisensory technologies that promote positive self-perceptions and feelings about their bodies.</p

One step at a time to feel lighter: understanding the impact of sound and smell on body image perception

How people mentally represent their body image does not always match their actual body. A negative body image perception (i.e., BIP) can cause risks of eating disorders, isolation, and emotional disease. Thus, being able to manipulate this perception through technology can open up the opportunity to increase healthy behaviours. Previous works showed that technology can be used to change people’s BIP combining visual and tactile stimulation. However, can other senses make the difference? Can audio and smell impact on our BIP? We based our work on a well-established link between walking sounds and the perceived walker’s weight: heavier bodies produce lower spectral mode sounds than lighter bodies. We ran a multisensory user-study in which we altered in real-time the frequency spectra of the sound of participants' footstep. In the meantime, we delivered previously selected scents. Our results show that the combination of audio and scent stimuli can be used to make participants feel lighter or heavier and that highly arousing scents (e.g., lemon) enhance the effect of sound. We discuss limitations (e.g., the use of headphones and wired devices) and potentials of our findings (e.g., the use of multisensory to overcome BIP misperception). With this work, we want to make the community aware of the power of audio on BIP, and inform future research towards the creation of novel virtual multisensory experiences and devices that can positively impact the way we feel about ourselves

Sniff before you act: exploration of scent-feature associations for designing future interactions

It has long been known that our sense of smell is a powerful one that affects emotions and behaviors. Recently, interest in the sense of smell has been growing exponentially in HCI. However, the potential of smell to inspire design is still underexplored. In this paper, we first investigated crossmodal correspondences between scents and selected features relevant for design (clustered in sensory, bodily, and qualitative features). Then, we created a set of cards (EssCards) to visually summarize the key findings to inspire designers. We carried out two preliminary design exploration sessions using the EssCards. Based on our findings, we discuss how to inspire and challenge design opportunities around the sense of smell and reflect upon applications for smell as inspirational material for designing future interactions and experiences

Nose Gym: An Interactive Smell Training Solution

When was the last time you had your sense of smell checked? Smell is one of the most neglected senses in daily life and in HCI. In Europe and the USA, around 22% of the general adult population has some form of smell dysfunction. This number rises to 75% for people aged between 70–80 years and negatively impacts peoples’ quality of life and well-being. Regular smell training can make a difference. Today, smell training is done by sniffing essential oils in jars or scented pens. Based on advances in digital technology, we present a new interactive smell training solution to help people train their nose. At CHI, users will have a chance to try out the scent-delivery device and companion App at the ‘Nose Gym’ booth. We will combine the interactivity with additional information on the I-smell project that is using this digital smell training solution in a real-world deployment to establish a culture of care for our sense of smell