# Smell of Fear Stimulates Brain

**URL:** <https://pheromonetalk.com/t/smell-of-fear-stimulates-brain/5588>\
**Category:** Pheromone Theory & Molecules\
**Created:** [September 18, 2007, 3:46pm UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/smell-of-fear-stimulates-brain/5588 "2007-09-18T15:46:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![nbully79](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c68b51/32.png) [@nbully79](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/nbully79)\
**Post date:** [September 18, 2007, 3:46pm UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/smell-of-fear-stimulates-brain/5588/1 "2007-09-18T15:46:18Z")

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[Chemosignals of Fear Enhance Cognitive Performance in Humans – Chen et al. 31 (5): 415 – Chemical Senses](http://chemse.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/31/5/415)

It is well documented across phyla that animals experiencing stress and fear produce chemical warning signals that can lead to behavioral, endocrinological, and immunological changes in the recipient animals of the same species. Humans distinguish between fear and other emotional chemosignals based on olfactory cues. Here, we study the effect of human fear chemosignals on the speed and accuracy of cognitive performance. In a double-blind experiment, female participants performed a word-association task while **smell** ing one of the three types of olfactory stimuli: fear **sweat** , neutral **sweat** , and control odor carrier. We found that the **participants exposed to the fear condition performed more accurately and yet with no sacrifice for speed on meaningful word conditions than those under either the neutral or the control condition. At the same time, they performed slower on tasks that contained ambiguous content.** Possible factors that could introduce bias, such as individual differences due to anxiety, verbal skills, and perceived qualities of the **smell** s, were ruled out. Our results demonstrate that human fear chemosignals **enhance** cognitive performances in the recipient. We suggest that this effect originates from learned associations, including greater cautiousness and concomitant changes in cognitive strategies.

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**Author:** ![jvkohl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/pheromonetalk.com/jvkohl/32/1297_2.png) [@jvkohl](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/jvkohl)\
**Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 1:04am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/smell-of-fear-stimulates-brain/5588/2 "2007-09-19T01:04:56Z")

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The full text of the article is available as a .pdf from the link nbully79 provided. It’s worth a look for anyone who is interested in how researchers establish a link between chemosignals (i.e., pheromones) and cognition. Such studies lay the groundwork for forthcoming research reports linking olfactory/pheromonal stimuli (i.e., pheromones) and behavior.

James V. Kohl

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**Author:** ![Brian\_F](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/pheromonetalk.com/brian_f/32/1573_2.png) [@Brian\_F](https://pheromonetalk.com/u/Brian_F)\
**Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 2:30am UTC](https://pheromonetalk.com/t/smell-of-fear-stimulates-brain/5588/3 "2014-04-06T02:30:04Z")

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Bumpity.

\*\* Reminder to self: skydiving, chemosensory signals, and come back here later to post.