The Scent of Eros : Mysteries of Odor in Human

In many non-human species odours play an important role in regulating social behaviour. They can signal the social status of an individual, affect reproductive development, instigate mating behaviour, and be used to identify kin in a variety of species (Preti et al, 1997). One example of this is the release of androstenone in the saliva of boars to instigate sexual presenting behaviour in sows (Kirk-Smith et al, 1978). While odours are seen as important in many species, humans are believed to rely more on their superior visual skills and linguistic abilities (Maxwell, 1984). As a result of this, research on the role that odours could play in human social behaviour has been relatively neglected compared to studies on other sensory inputs, particularly vision. In recent years however, there has been considerable speculation over the role that odours may play in human behaviour (Wyatt, 2003). Beginning primarily in the early 1970’s, an increasing volume of research has examined the human behaviours odours could influence, and the degree of influence that is exhibited. Interestingly it appears that odours are able to play a significant role in affecting our reproductive behaviours, particularly the process of interpersonal attraction (Kohl et al, 2001). Substances present in human body odour can facilitate social interactions by maintaining positive mood (Jacob & McClintock, 2000) and even signal Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) characteristics that are essentially a marker of a person’s inherited immune system (Wedekind & Furi, 1997). Individuals select a mate who possesses different MHC characteristics to their own, as a means of avoiding inbreeding (kin have similar MHC characteristics) and/or to provide offspring with more varied immune reactions (Penn & Potts, 1999) However the findings within the field of olfaction research are often contradictory and open to criticism. Many of the earlier studies from the 1970’s and 1980’s are criticised on methodological grounds for having insufficient sample sizes, inadequate control groups, a lack of ecological validity and poor control over extraneous variables (Stoddart, 1990). While these issues have been addressed in more recent research, there are other issues to consider. Many of the researchers in the field of human olfaction go on to form commercial organisa-