The contributions of smell and taste to overall intensity: A model

Abstract

A model is proposed to describe mathematically the integration of olfaction and gustation in producing the sensation of overall intensity or flavor. The basis of this additive model is the premise that the sensation of overall intensity is composed of the summation of the estimates of the intensities of smell and taste. However, since this summation has been consistently shown to be greater than the estimates of the intensity of flavor, the additive model is modified such that the psychophysical functions describing the magnitude estimates of smell and taste are "reduced" when used to predict the overall intensity or flavor. The model's predictive capacity is demonstrated by the results of a test using the Two-Module Delivery System (Hornung & Enns, 1984) to present the odorant ethyl butyrate and the tastant sucrose. Using all combinations of distilled water and three concentrations of the odorant combined with distilled water and three concentrations of the tastant, subjects used the method of absolute magnitude estimation to scale the intensities of smell, taste, and flavor. Estimates of overall intensity (flavor) were predicted accurately from the intensity ratings given to smell and taste. © 1986 Psychonomic Society, Inc.