Odor Preference Glossary of Terms
A priori – knowable without reference to a particular experience; from the Latin, meaning “before experience.” A priori hedonic response to an odor would therefore be a response based on innate, rather than learned, preferences.
Ambiguous odor – an odor that can be interpreted with various hedonic connotations
Associative learning – the process by which one event or item comes to be linked to another as a result of an individual’s past experiences
Context – a state (mental or physical), situation or environment that induces a set of preconceptions and expectations
Generalist – in evolutionary terms, a living entity that is able to exist in and exploit any habitat and is therefore adaptable in terms of dietary intake and defense from predators
Hedonic perception – an affective evaluation that centers on likes and dislikes, i.e. preferences
Odor hedonics – hedonic perception as pertains to the sense of smell
Neophobia – fear or avoidance of new things, experiences, places; in the case of odor hedonics, fear or avoidance of new, unfamiliar odors
Proactive interference – in odor hedonics, an instance of the first association made to an odor interfering with subsequent associations to the same odor
Specialist – in evolutionary terms, a living entity that is restricted to a specific habitat and has a limited diet and specific set of predators
Tabula rasa – from the Latin, meaning “erased slate.” In human perception, refers to the mind before it has received impressions acquired through experiences.
Trigeminal stimulation – stimulation of the chief sensory nerve of the face through chemical or other means
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