Lavender scent helps you trust people

Sellaro and her fellow researchers were the first to investigate whether the calming olfactory fragrance of lavender has a positive effect on mutual trust.

Aromatherapists have already known that aromatic compounds can alter one's mood, cognitive, psychological or physical wellbeing.

Sellaro said that mutual trust was the social glue of society and interpersonal trust was an essential element for social co-operation bargaining and negotiation.

The results might have various serious implications for a broad range of situations in which interpersonal trust was an essential element like smelling the aroma of lavender might help a seller to establish more easily a trusting negotiation to sell a car, or in a grocery store it might induce consumers to spend more money buying products, she added.

Sellaro finally concluded that it might also be helpful in sport psychology to enhance trust and build team spirit, for example in the case of team games such as soccer and volleyball.

ANI