Reduced discriminability following perceptual learning with odours.

In this experiment, the effects of prior experience on odour perception and discrimination were explored. Participants repeatedly sniffed a mixture composed of two odours, AX, as well as smelling two further odours alone, B and Y. After this training phase, participants were asked to rate the similarity of the odours A and X, B and Y, and a non-exposed pair C and Z.

Gender differences in the retention of Swahili names for unfamiliar odors.

Several studies, using different techniques, have established that women typically outperform men in naming odors. The mechanism for this effect was explored here in two experiments. In experiment 1, men and women learned randomly assigned Swahili names for a set of seven unfamiliar odors.