A recent study published by Cornell University researchers found that women can make subconscious judgments about potential friendships based on a person’s scent. The study involved women who were asked to meet and interact with other women for short periods, and their scent was captured on a worn T-shirt. The researchers then compared the women’s initial impressions of each other’s scents to their evaluations after meeting in person.
The results showed that the scent alone predicted how much women liked their interaction partners after four-minute “speed-friending” chats. This suggests that scent plays a significant role in guiding social connections beyond romantic attraction.
What sets this study apart is its focus on platonic interactions, rather than mate selection. The researchers also found that participants’ evaluations of the person’s smell were influenced by the quality of their live interaction, with higher-quality interactions leading to more positive assessments of the scent.
The study highlights the importance of ecological relevant social olfactory cues in informing friendship judgments and suggests that our sense of smell may be playing a more significant role in shaping our social connections than we often realize.
Source: https://neurosciencenews.com/olfaction-friendship-neuroscience-26865