REACTION-TIME FOR THE RECOGNITION OF ODOR QUALITY

Psychophysical procedures were used to determine human recognition times to three matched intensity levels of the odorants n-butanol, (+)-limonene and propionic acid. A computer controlled the delivery of the odorants from an air dilution olfactometer and measured recognition times. The mean times recorded with the odorants were significantly different and ranged between 680-867 ms, the shortest times being recorded with the acid. The results are discussed in relation to reported detection and recognition times, and their relevance to odor mixture perception, in particular it was concluded that reaction times for recognition do not predict the occurrence of suppression in mixtures.