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

Parma, Valentina

Redolfi, Nelly

Alho, Laura

Rocha, Marta

Ferreira, Jacqueline

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.