%0 Journal Article
%T The Smell of Healthy Choices: Cross
%A Courtney Szocs
%A Dipayan Biswas
%J Journal of Marketing Research
%@ 1547-7193
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/0022243718820585
%X Managers are using ambient scent as an important strategic element in various service settings, with food-related scents being especially common. This research examines the effects of food-related ambient scents on children¡¯s and adults¡¯ food purchases/choices. The results of a series of experiments, including field studies at a supermarket and at a middle school cafeteria, show that extended exposure (of more than two minutes) to an indulgent food¨Crelated ambient scent (e.g., cookie scent) leads to lower purchases of unhealthy foods compared with no ambient scent or a nonindulgent food¨Crelated ambient scent (e.g., strawberry scent). The effects seem to be driven by cross-modal sensory compensation, whereby prolonged exposure to an indulgent/rewarding food scent induces pleasure in the reward circuitry, which in turn diminishes the desire for actual consumption of indulgent foods. Notably, the effects reverse with brief (<30 seconds) exposure to the scent. Whereas prior research has examined cross-modal effects, this research adopts the novel approach of examining cross-modal sensory compensation effects, whereby stimuli in one sensory modality (olfactory) can compensate/satisfy the desire related to another sensory modality (gustatory)
%K ambient scent
%K cross-modal sensory compensation effects
%K (un)healthy food choices
%K retail and service setting atmospherics
%K sensory marketing
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0022243718820585