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Gender and Sense of Smell

Gender and Sense of Smell

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Science Fair Project Description

Who has a better sense of smell, males or females? Though there have been studies attempting to answer this question, findings have not been conclusive. This science fair project involves testing blindfolded participants of both genders for their ability to identify the scents of various food items, rate the intensity of the smell and its favorability.
Complexity level:5
Time required:Additional time may be required to enlist participants and procure food items.
Safety concerns:

Overview

Though many studies have been conducted on gender differences in olfactory perception, the findings of these studies have been open to question. Females have typically been shown to have a higher sense of olfactory acuity than males, but some critics instead point to the fact that changes in hormonal levels may lead to females being more sensitive to odors, while others believe that males and females are attracted to different smells. In this experiment, besides having participants identify odors, they will be quantifying the intensity of the odors, along with each odour's favorability.

Scientific Terms

Olfactory perception, olfaction

Materials

  1. A minimum of 20 participants 10 males and 10 females
  2. Blindfolds
  3. Data sheet (provided below)
  4. Different food items (a minimum of 3). Examples of good food items for testing include
  • Strawberries
  • Bananas
  • Chocolate
  • Pickles
  • Cheese

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See whats included

Procedure

1. For best results, the experiment should be performed outdoors so that the food odors do not linger.

2. Test the participants one at a time.

3. The participants are to be blindfolded during the experiment.

4. Have participants test all food items.

5. Have each participant:

a. Identify the smell

b. Rate the level of intensity of the smell on a scale from 1-10.

c. Rate the favorability of the smell (Undesirable, neutral, desirable).

 

Food Item

Identifies Food Item Correctly

Level of odor intensity

1-10

Favorability of odor (Undesirable, neutral, desirable).

Males

       

Participant 1

       

Participant 2

       

Participant 3

       

Participant 4

       

Participant 5

       

Participant 6

       

Participant 7

       

Participant 8

       

Participant 9

       

Participant 10

       
         

Females

       

Participant 1

       

Participant 2

       

Participant 3

       

Participant 4

       

Participant 5

       

Participant 6

       

Participant 7

       

Participant 8

       

Participant 9

       

Participant 10

       
 

 

References

Related video

These videos explain the science behind this project and demonstrate key concepts used in the experiment.
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