Olfactory media impact on task performance: The case of a word search game

Innovation in regards to olfaction, specifically multimedia, pales in comparison to audio and visual stimuli, further dominated by recent advances such as HD and Super AMOLED displays and HD and Surround Sound audio offering an improved multimedia experience for the consumer. With the popularity of 3D multimedia, specifically movies, television and smart phone technology, this reaffirms the desire for multimedia consumers to increase the reality and realism of the environment they are within. The introduction of olfaction could further enhance the experience of the viewer, as they are able to be engrossed within even more authentic situational conditions. Olfaction - “Smell”, however, is notoriously considered to be distracting or annoying. In this paper, we look at the impact of olfactory media on users' performance of a task, specifically completing a word search game. Findings from the study showed that users' performance of the task was significantly better in the presence of olfaction.