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A Sociable Atmosphere

Ambient Scent's Effect on Social Interaction

Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, dz48{at}cornell.edu

Stowe Shoemaker

Conrad N. Hilton College at the University of Houston, sshoemak{at}central.uh.edu

This exploratory study examines how introducing an ambient scent affects the interactions between people within a meeting room. The study demonstrates behavioral mapping, a procedure for testing people's responses to ambient factors. The study found that introducing an ambient scent into a meeting room significantly increased the number of social interactions between the study's participants. However, the significance of the effect of the scent was moderate. The role of scent in the hospitality industry seems promising, although the small number of observations, along with certain other factors, limits the possibility for generalizing the results of this study.

Key Words: atmospherics • ambient scent • affiliation • social interaction

Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, Vol. 49, No. 3, 317-329 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1938965508320626


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