Word Labels Affect Perception

Can a word label affect your perception? An Oxford University experiment subjected a group of people to a cheesy aroma while at the same time flashing the phrase “Body Odor” or “Cheddar Cheese.” When asked to rate the pleasantness of the scent, those who said the words “Cheddar Cheese” rated it’s pleasantness higher than when the word “Body Odor” was flashed with the cheesy aroma.

Then, the researcher analyzed fMRI brain images of the same subjects, which revealed different patterns of activity in the secondary olfactory cortex (a collection of neurons that mediate pleasant sensory responses to smells and tastes). The pleasant word “Cheddar Cheese” produced more action in this area of the brain than in those repelled by the word “Body Odor.”

“We’re finding that words affect how you feel because they’re influencing the emotional part of the brain,” says researcher Edmund Rolls.

To apply this principle toward health food, shouldn’t we refer to unhealthy food as “Death Food?” Wouldn’t that leave a nasty taste in your mouth? This is a fine example of our need to change the way we think, for better health.

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought." Buddha