Abstract
Objectives: It is well established that composite facial images are perceived as more attractive compared to individual images suggesting preference for heterozygosity. Similarly, there is some evidence that preferences for axillary odours might be linked to heterozygosity.
Here we tested whether blending individual body odours will show similar pattern as the one observed in the perception of faces. Methods: Body odour samples were obtained from 26 men and 12 women who wore cotton pads in their both armpits for 12 hours under controlled conditions.
Samples from one randomly assigned armpit were assessed individually. Samples from the other armpit were used to create either 2- (N = 19) or 4- (N = 9) composite body odour samples.
The individual samples were assessed by 56 men and 54 women and composite samples by 50 men and 48 women regarding their 1) pleasantness, 2) attractiveness and 3) intensity. The mean ratings of individual and composite samples were compared by paired t-test, repeated measure ANOVA and bivariate correlations.
Results: We found no significant differences between mean ratings of composite odour blends (concerned with both 2 and 4- composite body odour samples) and individual odours. To test whether the expected effect is not restricted to upper or lower part of the distribution we split the ratings according to the median; however, we found a similar pattern as in overall sample.
Further we found significant positive correlation between ratings of composite odour blends and individual odours. Conclusions: Our results indicate that in contrast to faces, composite odours are not rated as more attractive.
However, odour blends retain similar hedonic perceptual qualities as individual odours suggesting that limited emergent effect in the body odour blends.