Effects of environmental odor and coping style on negative affect, anger, arousal, and escape

Trait coping, state anger, perceived arousal, blood pressure, negative affect, and escape behavior were measured in a sample of 240 undergraduate males and females exposed to 1 of 4 foul-odor conditions or to a no-odor condition. Consistent with Baron and Bell's (1976) negative-affect-escape model, it was hypothesized that people exposed to noxious odors would experience increased negative affect and heightened motivation to escape the situation. Results showed that negative affect and motivation to escape, but not anger or arousal, increased significantly as odor became more noxious. In addition, anger and motivation to escape significantly predicted negative affect. Variances in anger and perceived arousal, but not discomfort and escape, were accounted for mainly by trait coping styles and gender differences. Variances in discomfort and escape were accounted for mainly by odor alone.