PSYCHOSEMANTIC AND PSYCHOLINGUISTIC FEATURES OF OLFACTORY PERCEPTION OF AROMA IN DIFFERENT PSYCHOEMOTIONAL STATES

Abstract

The article is devoted to the problem of psychological regularities of aroma perception. Despite the fact that today there is a lot of psychophysiological scientific research on human reactions to various olfactory stimuli, the problem of psychophysiology of distinguishing aromas in different physical states of a person, in particular during illness, the question of how certain aromas affect the psycho-emotional state of a person is sufficiently studied and how these aromas are perceived in one or another state today remains within the scope of popular-scientific discussions. 38 women took part in the experiment, equally represented by different levels of wellbeing – activity – mood, who were presented with 14 fragrances-stimuli. The specificity of the perception of aromas was determined by the method of semantic differential and with the use of a free associative experiment. It was proved that the same aromas-stimuli are perceived differently depending on the psycho-emotional state of the subject. It was determined that vanilla and basil aromas have the most tonic effect at a low level of well-being – activity – mood, at medium – lavender, and at high – vanilla, basil, tea tree and lemon. At a low level of well-being – activity – mood, the most pleasant aromas are tea tree and basil, at medium – rosemary and geranium, and at high – tea tree. At a low and medium level of well-being – activity – mood, the most effective in terms of transforming the psychoemotional body are the scents of vanilla and lavender, at a high level – vanilla, frankincense and tea tree. It was found that ylang-ylang and eucalyptus aromas have the most calming and relaxing effect at a low level of well-being – activity – mood, at a medium level – cedar and eucalyptus, and at a high level – mint. At a low level of well-being – activity – mood, mint aromas are the least pleasant, at medium – orange and mint, and at high – vanilla. At a low level of well-being – activity – mood, the aromas of ylang-ylang were determined to be the least influential, at medium – mint and orange, at high – lemon. According to the results of the verbal associative experiment, only a few flavors in the semantic field have nuclear meanings. In particular, "lavender" is associated, first of all, with "calm", "field", "cedar" – with "forest", "vanilla" – "sweet", "mint" – with "chewing", "freshness", "basil" – with "salad", "lemon" – "freshness" and "vigor", "eucalyptus" – "medicine", "orange" – with "New Year", and "incense" – "church".