Brits take photos of things that smell nice
A quarter of Brits have admitted they've taken a photograph of something because they like the way it smells.But the odd admission might not be 'quite' as strange as it first sounds, because almost half of us also say looking at a photograph can evoke smell memories.
A recent survey found that 47 percent of people say they can regularly remember the scent associated with the location of a photograph.
Dr Rachel Herz, a Professor at Brown University, said that women were both the most likely to link a smell to a photo and take a picture of something because of the way it smells.
Freshly cut grass, sunscreen and baby talc the most common smells people associate with images… but that's just because we don't all take pictures of sewers.
"This research shows just how powerful the link between our memories and the sense of smell really is. While a photograph can visually remind us of a particular moment in time, if it is accompanied by scent it will elicit even more emotional and evocative memories – more than any other memory trigger."
Referring to the results of the survey commissioned by Nikno, Dr Herz added: "For many years scientists have conducted research into the link between our senses and our ability to recall memories.
"My research shows that our sense of smell in particular has a uniquely intimate and direct connection with the area of the brain that controls emotional memory.
"For many, any scents associated with childhood – such as the smell of a hot summer’s day in the fairground – have a particularly strong ability to trigger an emotional memory that takes them back to their youth.”
LINKS
Nikon
Brown University
Referring to the results of the survey commissioned by Nikno, Dr Herz added: "For many years scientists have conducted research into the link between our senses and our ability to recall memories.
"My research shows that our sense of smell in particular has a uniquely intimate and direct connection with the area of the brain that controls emotional memory.
"For many, any scents associated with childhood – such as the smell of a hot summer’s day in the fairground – have a particularly strong ability to trigger an emotional memory that takes them back to their youth.”
LINKS
Nikon
Brown University
