The acquisition of odour qualities

Odours can evoke a large range of qualities. Some of these qualities (e.g., sweetness) appear to be acquired through simultaneously experiencing odour s mixed with tastes. Acquisition might also occur when two odours are exper ienced as a mixture. In this case mixture components might acquire each oth er's qualities. This was tested in two experiments. In the first, subjects repeatedly sniffed two odour mixtures (either AX, BY or AY, BX). Odours mix ed with A acquired A's properties and were judged more similar to A than to B. Odours mixed with B were not clearly discriminable. The second experime nt used a similar approach except that Odour B was replaced. Subjects now s melled either AX, CY or AY, CX. All components were discriminable. Odours m ixed with A acquired A's properties and were judged more similar to A than to C. Although odours mixed with C did not acquire C's qualities due to a c onfusion of quality terms, odours previously mixed with C were judged as mo re similar to C than to A. Evidence of other quality exchanges were also ob tained. These results suggest that pure odour qualities can be learnt and l end support to William James's (1890) notion of the acquired equivalence/di stinctiveness of cues.