2008 Volume 7 Issue 2 Pages 197-200
The impressions of odors is known as a source of explicit subjective and have individual differences. In this study, the impressions of odors were investigated by a covariance structure analysis. Forty-six subjects (men in their twenties) recorded their reactions to ten odorants by grading them on a seven-point scale in terms of twelve adjective pairs. Their reactions were visually evaluated by using a factor analysis and a covariance structure analysis. The factors were extracted as “preference”, “arousal”and “persistency”. We classified the subjects into three groups according to the similarity in the preference pattern for odors, because the preference patterns of the subjects for odors significantly vary between individuals. Each group had different a causal relationship and a different impression structure for the odors. It was suggested that the subjective impression of odor could be evaluated using the covariance structure analysis.
