Swiss Identity Smells Like Chocolate: Social Identity Shapes Olfactory Experience

45 Pages Posted: 8 Mar 2016

See all articles by Géraldine Coppin

Géraldine Coppin

University of Geneva

Eva Pool

University of Geneva

Sylvain Delplanque

University of Geneva

Bastiaan Oud

University of Zurich

Christian Margot

Firmenich SA

David Sander

University of Geneva

Jay Van Bavel

New York University (NYU) - Department of Psychology; Norwegian School of Economics (NHH)

Date Written: March 7, 2016

Abstract

There is extensive evidence that social identities can shape people’s attitudes and behavior, but what about sensory experience? In two experiments, we investigated whether social identity can influence olfaction. We presented Swiss and non-Swiss participants with the odor of chocolate, for which Switzerland is world-famous, and a control odor (popcorn). Swiss participants primed with Swiss identity experienced the odor of chocolate (but not popcorn) as more intense than non-Swiss participants (Experiments 1 and 2) and than Swiss participants primed with individual identity or not primed (Experiment 2). The perceived intensity of chocolate smell tended to increase as identity accessibility increased — but only among Swiss participants (Experiment 1). These results suggest that identity priming can counter-act classic sensory habituation effects, allowing identity-relevant smells to maintain their intensity after repeated presentations. This suggests that social identity dynamically influences sensory experience. We discuss the implications for models of social identity and chemosensory perception.

Keywords: intergroup relations, social identity, priming, olfaction, intensity

Suggested Citation

Coppin, Géraldine and Pool, Eva and Delplanque, Sylvain and Oud, Bastiaan and Margot, Christian and Sander, David and Van Bavel, Jay, Swiss Identity Smells Like Chocolate: Social Identity Shapes Olfactory Experience (March 7, 2016). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2743518 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2743518

Géraldine Coppin (Contact Author)

University of Geneva ( email )

Boulevard du pont d'Arve 40
Genève, CH - 1205
Switzerland

Eva Pool

University of Geneva ( email )

102 Bd Carl-Vogt
Genève, CH - 1205
Switzerland

Sylvain Delplanque

University of Geneva ( email )

102 Bd Carl-Vogt
Genève, CH - 1205
Switzerland

Bastiaan Oud

University of Zurich ( email )

Rämistrasse 71
Zürich, CH-8006
Switzerland

Christian Margot

Firmenich SA ( email )

Geneva
Switzerland

David Sander

University of Geneva ( email )

102 Bd Carl-Vogt
Genève, CH - 1205
Switzerland

Jay Van Bavel

New York University (NYU) - Department of Psychology ( email )

New York, NY 10003
United States

Norwegian School of Economics (NHH)

Helleveien 30
Bergen, NO-5045
Norway

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
169
Abstract Views
1,889
Rank
319,049
PlumX Metrics