Clustering skills related to human chemosensory communication
Wed-P2-047
Presented by: Katrin T. Lübke
People differ in a variety of traits which might affect chemosensory communication. The current study aimed at clustering individuals based on social characteristics and the perception of human happiness chemosignals, and to explore whether these clusters would differ in their evaluative neural processing of human happiness chemosignals.
N = 53 individuals (n = 27 women) were presented with pooled axillary sweat sampled from women while awaiting the arrival of a loved one after a period of separation (happiness sweat). The samples were presented via a constant-flow olfactometer (100 ml/s) while EEG was recorded (25 trials, 0.5 s, ISI: 18.5-22.5 s). In each trial, participants indicated if they had detected an odor (detection rate), and if they would find an individual emitting such odor attractive (likeability rate). Event-related potentials were calculated, and the P3 component was detected at electrode Cz. Participants answered the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS; social anxiety) and completed the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET; Theory of Mind). They were clustered based on detection rate, likability rate, SIAS, and RMET using hierarchical clustering with Ward’s method and squared Euclidian distance.
The analysis revealed 4 clusters. Clusters 1 (n = 23) and 2 (n = 5) were both characterized by high SIAS and RMET scores, but cluster 1 featured high likeability and detection rates, while cluster 2 had low likeability and medium detection rates. Clusters 3 (n = 17) and 4 (n = 8) had low SIAS and RMET scores, with cluster 3 featuring high detection but low likeability rates, and cluster 4 featuring low detection and high likeability rates. Cluster 2 showed the smallest P3 amplitude, differing from both cluster 1 (p = .033) and cluster 3 (p = .048).
The current study suggests that there are specific sets of characteristics based on social functioning and chemosensory sensitivity which relate to evaluative processing of human happiness chemosignals.
N = 53 individuals (n = 27 women) were presented with pooled axillary sweat sampled from women while awaiting the arrival of a loved one after a period of separation (happiness sweat). The samples were presented via a constant-flow olfactometer (100 ml/s) while EEG was recorded (25 trials, 0.5 s, ISI: 18.5-22.5 s). In each trial, participants indicated if they had detected an odor (detection rate), and if they would find an individual emitting such odor attractive (likeability rate). Event-related potentials were calculated, and the P3 component was detected at electrode Cz. Participants answered the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS; social anxiety) and completed the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET; Theory of Mind). They were clustered based on detection rate, likability rate, SIAS, and RMET using hierarchical clustering with Ward’s method and squared Euclidian distance.
The analysis revealed 4 clusters. Clusters 1 (n = 23) and 2 (n = 5) were both characterized by high SIAS and RMET scores, but cluster 1 featured high likeability and detection rates, while cluster 2 had low likeability and medium detection rates. Clusters 3 (n = 17) and 4 (n = 8) had low SIAS and RMET scores, with cluster 3 featuring high detection but low likeability rates, and cluster 4 featuring low detection and high likeability rates. Cluster 2 showed the smallest P3 amplitude, differing from both cluster 1 (p = .033) and cluster 3 (p = .048).
The current study suggests that there are specific sets of characteristics based on social functioning and chemosensory sensitivity which relate to evaluative processing of human happiness chemosignals.