• Science of Emotion and Sensibility
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.387-396
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• 2013

In this study, the influence of classroom smells (foot odor, hair smell, sour smell, and sweat smell) of male high school and sweat smell and the offensive odor substance (ammonia and butyric acid) on the electroencephalography (EEG) activities of 20 female volunteers, ranging in age from 30 to 50 were studied. The representative response of brainwave index by these smells stimuli was most pronounced on temporal lobes among the brain lobes. By comparison with background EEG activities on temporal lobes, the smells reduced the relative alpha band power (0.04~0.13) and increased the relative beta band power (0.02~0.06) and the relative gamma band power (0.03~0.09). The alpha wave was deactivated, high beta (18~30Hz) and gamma (30~50Hz) waves were remarkably activated. The order of EEG fluctuation caused by the smell stimulus is as follows; hair smell > butyric acid > foot odor, sour smell > ammonia > sweat smell. It means that the classroom smells cause an excessive brain arousal and straining and may be reducing one's attention and learning ability.