{"id":30249,"date":"2017-06-28T19:31:23","date_gmt":"2017-06-28T19:31:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inhalio.com\/?p=30249"},"modified":"2017-06-28T19:31:23","modified_gmt":"2017-06-28T19:31:23","slug":"keith-kelsens-narrative-scent-powerful-context-scent-memory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inhalio.com\/china\/2017\/06\/28\/keith-kelsens-narrative-scent-powerful-context-scent-memory\/","title":{"rendered":"Keith Kelsen\u2019s The Narrative of Scent: The Powerful Context of Scent for Memory"},"content":{"rendered":"

Since the slightest hint of scent can instantly trigger memories from a childhood long ago, can we use scent to program our memories? \u00a0In The Scent Narrative, <\/em>we have explored how certain scents can increase focus, help you drive better or improve your love life. Let\u2019s explore the possibility of scent helping us systematically to recall information we want to.<\/p>\n

We know that ancient Chinese culture has long supported that scent was a part of storytelling.\u00a0 A tradition that has been handed down from generation to generation was to pass around a small container holding spice or incense to accompany the telling of \u201cgenerational stories\u201d, according to University of Liverpool Researcher, Simon Chu.\u00a0 Later, when members of the family wanted to recall the moment and the story, they passed around the same scent again.<\/p>\n

In her definitive text on the psychology of smell, The Scent of Desire<\/em>, Rachel Hertz explores the possibility: \u201cThe idea that odors might be used to enhance memory is supported by a well-established psychological phenomenon called context-dependent memory<\/em>.\u00a0 When you are in the same context, place or mind-set that you were when you learned something, you remember that information better.\u201d<\/p>\n

In psychology,\u00a0this context-dependent memory\u00a0<\/em>is all about improved\u00a0recall<\/a>\u00a0of specific episodes, when the\u00a0context<\/em>\u00a0is present at both encoding and retrieval. A practical example is when something is lost and a person \u201cretraces their steps\u201c to determine all of the possible places where the item might be located. Based on the role that context plays in determining recall, it is not at all surprising that it\u2019s easy to discover the lost item upon returning to the correct context<\/em>. This example best describes the concept of context-dependent forgetting\/remembering.<\/p>\n

Research literature on context-dependent memory describes several types of contextual information that may affect recall including environmental context-dependent memory. The most commonly researched area of environmental context-dependent memory is the phenomenon of environmental reinstatement effect<\/em>. This effect occurs when the reinstatement (i.e. revisiting) of an environmental context acts as a cue for memories related to that environmental context[1]<\/a>.\u00a0Scent has been commonly used to recall memories in a situation where a subject believed they had forgotten them.\u00a0 Interestingly, it\u2019s only when an individual revisits this environmental context that they recall these memories. How much this effect occurs varies and may be classified under two types of reinstatement effects: long-term and short-term.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s explore how and why scent can provide a direct link to the long-term memory. Have you ever smelled someone\u2019s perfume and been instantly transported back in time to a much younger you. Or have you noticed the scent of a newborn baby transports you back to when your children were young? Ever wondered what scents will lock new memories in your mind?<\/p>\n

As we have written throughout The Scent Narrative, <\/em>our sense of smell is one of the most powerful senses we possess, and the merest hint of something familiar can trigger a special memory or wonderful moment in our lives that we treasure. \u00a0The reason for this is simple. It\u2019s because there is a direct scientifically proven link in our brains between memory and smell.<\/p>\n

Scent is considered an ambient cue in that it is encompassing and aids in recall when learning context and recall context are different. The word\u00a0ambient<\/em><\/a>\u00a0is defined as surrounding and encompassing.\u00a0 In “Moveable cues: a practical method for reducing context-dependent forgetting”,<\/em> researchers have suggested that ambient cues, such as odor and sound, aid in recall when the learning context and recall context are different.<\/p>\n

Memories of new tasks, like physical therapy, can be supported by scent.\u00a0 These cues are useful in recall because they can also be transferable.\u00a0Using transferable cues may be useful for individuals who have difficulty using the context recall technique because they have trouble creating a mental image of the original environment. For example, this technique has been proven useful for patients at home who are trying to reproduce skills that they learned in a hospital environment. [2]<\/a><\/p>\n

Learning can be done with the assistance of scent.\u00a0 This, in an academic environment, is a \u201clegal cheat\u201d as it reinforces the rigors of study with an aid.\u00a0 Again, according to The Scent of Desire<\/em>, Rachel Hertz did a series of experiments to explore the possibility: \u201cFirst, I found that in order for an ambient scent to facilitate memory, it had to be distinctive or unfamiliar; to stand out from the background so that your attention will be drawn to it, even if you don\u2019t intentionally focus on it.\u201d[3]<\/a>\u00a0 Further she stated, \u201cSmell a different fragrance for the different topics you are trying to learn.\u00a0 If you are studying for a calculus exam and a driver\u2019s license test, be careful to use different scents for each of these topics and to not get them mixed up. If you use the same scent for both, you might find yourself thinking of speed limits when you should be remembering rates for asymptotes.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are commercial aspects and applications as well.\u00a0 Could products be created that both bring back happy memories, while laying the groundwork for new ones?\u00a0 Katherine Frizoni, the skincare research and development manager for Dove\u2122, says: \u201cOur sense of smell is the most evocative sense but it is often overlooked because we rely so much on what we see and what we hear. We very rarely think about what we smell. But when you smell something, it brings back a memory much quicker than any of your other senses can. It is immediate. The olfactory bulb is part of the brain\u2019s limbic system, which is really closely associated with memory.\u201d[4]<\/a> \u00a0When her Dove team was developing its Youthful Vitality<\/em> mature-skin body products, it placed a great deal of focus on choosing exactly the right fragrance. That was because it understood the importance of creating a balance between what the Youthful Vitality products do<\/em> and how they make people feel<\/em>, and that this scent could help make new memories, too<\/em>. The Youthful Vitality fragrance<\/em> was created as a reminder to slow down, to breathe deeply and to remember that, just as with the memory of watching your grandmother put on her make-up, some of the best moments in life are those which are still to happen.<\/p>\n

The smell of a fragrance or the whiff of an aroma, no matter how briefly experienced, can unlock some of the best moments in your life and transport you to places you had long forgotten. It also can, with the empowerment of context-dependent memory<\/em>, be used as a support aid in learning.\u00a0 We have seen examples of it for memory, physical therapy, classroom learning and even in self-care.\u00a0 Who knows what wonderful experiences and memories can be revived not just now, or for many years to come, but when we actively program our memory using scent? That\u2019s the power of scent context, it can bring one suddenly and happily to a mindful place even if in the future.<\/p>\n

\n

[1]<\/a> Smith, S.M. (1988) Environmental context-dependent memory. In G. Davies (Ed.), Memory in Context (pp. 13-31). John Wiley & Sons Ltd<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Parker, A.; Gellatly, A. (1997). “Moveable cues: a practical method for reducing context-dependent forgetting”.\u00a0Applied Cognitive Psychology<\/em>.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Hertz, R.S. (1997) The effects of cue distinctiveness on odor-based context memory. Memory & Cognition<\/em><\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> http:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/beauty\/skin\/youthful-vitality\/the-power-of-smell-and-memory\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Since the slightest hint … <\/p>\n

\u9605\u8bfb\u5168\u6587<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":30155,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nKeith Kelsen\u2019s The Narrative of Scent: The Powerful Context of Scent for Memory - Inhalio<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/inhalio.com\/china\/2017\/06\/28\/keith-kelsens-narrative-scent-powerful-context-scent-memory\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"zh_CN\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Keith Kelsen\u2019s The Narrative of Scent: The Powerful Context of Scent for Memory - Inhalio\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Since the slightest hint ... \u9605\u8bfb\u5168\u6587\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/inhalio.com\/china\/2017\/06\/28\/keith-kelsens-narrative-scent-powerful-context-scent-memory\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Inhalio\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-06-28T19:31:23+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/inhalio.com\/china\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/inhalio-partner-hub-1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2048\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1363\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Keith Kelsen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"\u4f5c\u8005\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Keith Kelsen\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"\u9884\u8ba1\u9605\u8bfb\u65f6\u95f4\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6\u5206\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inhalio.com\/china\/2017\/06\/28\/keith-kelsens-narrative-scent-powerful-context-scent-memory\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inhalio.com\/china\/2017\/06\/28\/keith-kelsens-narrative-scent-powerful-context-scent-memory\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Keith Kelsen\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inhalio.com\/china\/#\/schema\/person\/ef020eeabaa1077e4a1d4b21f0df8a37\"},\"headline\":\"Keith Kelsen\u2019s The Narrative of Scent: The Powerful Context of Scent for Memory\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-06-28T19:31:23+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2017-06-28T19:31:23+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inhalio.com\/china\/2017\/06\/28\/keith-kelsens-narrative-scent-powerful-context-scent-memory\/\"},\"wordCount\":1242,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inhalio.com\/china\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Blog\"],\"inLanguage\":\"zh-CN\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/inhalio.com\/china\/2017\/06\/28\/keith-kelsens-narrative-scent-powerful-context-scent-memory\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/inhalio.com\/china\/2017\/06\/28\/keith-kelsens-narrative-scent-powerful-context-scent-memory\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/inhalio.com\/china\/2017\/06\/28\/keith-kelsens-narrative-scent-powerful-context-scent-memory\/\",\"name\":\"Keith Kelsen\u2019s The Narrative of Scent: The Powerful Context of Scent for Memory - 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