Effects of Scent and Music on Moods and Stress in the Confined Resting Area

Abstract

Scent and music are acknowledged to generate physiological and psychological changes on people, and the combination of scent and music is exerted in diverse situations. However, effects and utilization of scent and music in confined resting environment have not been examined exhaustively. To investigate the effects of scent and music on people’s moods and stress in confined resting areas, towards a better understanding about the olfactory and auditory environment, we tested six combinations of scent and music. The results indicated that music hardly changed people’s stress evaluation, but had significant effects on moods. On the other hand, scent dramatically affected both moods and stress assessment. Profound comprehension about scent and music will offer further inspiration for the design of olfactory and auditory environment in confined spaces, and new knowledge and perspectives gained through this exploratory study will serve to the thorough and supplementary research in the future.