Introduction

Previous research suggests that putrescine — the chemical compound that gives decomposing organic matter its distinctive odor — may trigger an inborn evolutionary mechanism that prompts individuals to avoid the smell of decay. The purpose of these two experiments was to investigate the effects of exposure to putrescine on human cognition.

Methods

Two between-subjects experiments (experiment 1 N = 109; experiment 2 N = 108) compared individuals exposed to either putrescine, ammonia, or water. Experiment 1 measures included odorant ratings (i.e., intensity, familiarity, repugnance, goodness), implicit measures (i.e., word completion task, moral judgment vignettes, and opinions on the death penalty), and explicit measures (i.e., death attitudes, self-esteem, and life satisfaction); experiment 2 measures included odorant ratings and life satisfaction.

Results

In experiment 1, there were no differences by odorant condition on implicit measures; however, those exposed to putrescine reported higher life satisfaction than those exposed to water. These results were replicated in experiment 2.

Conclusions

Exposure to putrescine may activate psychological threat management processes, which are then interpreted as higher life satisfaction.

Implications

Human olfactory perception is sensitive to putrescine, and putrescine may exert some subtle psychological effects on human cognition.

中文翻译：

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嗅到死亡，热爱生活：嗅觉化学信号对生活满意度的影响

介绍

先前的研究表明，腐胺——一种赋予分解有机物独特气味的化合物——可能触发一种先天的进化机制，促使个体避免腐烂的气味。这两个实验的目的是研究腐胺暴露对人类认知的影响。

方法

两个受试者间实验（实验 1 N = 109；实验 2 N = 108）比较了暴露于腐胺、氨水或水的个体。实验 1 的测量包括气味评级（即强度、熟悉度、反感、善良）、内隐测量（即单词完成任务、道德判断小插曲和对死刑的看法）和显式测量（即死亡态度、自我尊重和生活满意度）；实验 2 的测量包括气味评级和生活满意度。

结果

在实验 1 中，隐含测量的气味条件没有差异；然而，那些接触腐胺的人比那些接触水的人报告的生活满意度更高。在实验 2 中重复了这些结果。

结论

接触腐胺可能会激活心理威胁管理过程，然后将其解释为更高的生活满意度。

影响

人类的嗅觉对腐胺很敏感，腐胺可能会对人类的认知产生一些微妙的心理影响。