Abstract
This study examines whether the involuntary recollection of an autobiographical memory elicited from an odor cue is determined by cue identifiability, emotional valence, or frequency of everyday encounters. After a semantic-differential (SD) task for various odors, participants (N=74) were asked about occurrences of involuntary recollections during the SD task. The results revealed that more frequently encountered odors were more likely to trigger involuntary recollections. However, no effects were observed for identifiability or emotional valence. These findings suggest that odor cues induce involuntary recollections in a non-verbal manner and that the process of involuntary recollection varies according to cue type.
