Ethnic influences on the perceptual properties of human chemosignals

Parma, Valentina; Redolfi, Nelly; Alho, Laura; Rocha, Marta; Ferreira, Jacqueline; Silva, Carlos Fernandes da; Soares, Sandra C.

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.12/7074

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Authors

Silva, Carlos Fernandes da

Soares, Sandra C.

Abstract(s)

Individuals of African and Caucasian descent show different chemical signatures in their body odors (BO). Does such biological difference have a perceptual correlate? We tested BO donors and raters of Afro-Portuguese (AP) and Caucasian (C) descent to investigate whether olfactory ratings reveal an ethnic bias and whether olfactory ethnic discrimination is possible. C (vs. AP) women rated the C BO as more pleasant, even when controlling for intensity. The C BO labelled as AP was rated as more intense by C raters. Although discriminability of ethnicity and sex is at chance, a nominal advantage for AP vs. C BO emerges.