The effects of adaptation on the perception of similar and dissimilar odors

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Abstract
Adaptation among several odors was studied using a multiple-alternative, forced-choice procedure where six concentrations of each odorant and three blanks were presented in a random sequence before and after adaptation to each of the odors. Adaptation was expressed in terms of changes in both identification threshold and perceived intensity. In the first experiment, Galaxolide® (a synthetic isochroman musk) and 5α-androst-16-en-3-one (androstenone) showed no cross-adaptation in spite of sharing, for some people, a musky note. In the second experiment, Galaxolide and Thibetolide® (a synthetic macrocyclic musk) showed significant, but asymmetric, cross-adaptation. When Galaxolide was the adapting stimulus, shifts in indentification threshold and magnitude estimates for Thibetolide were not significantly different from those obtained for Galaxolide, a result consistent with the conclusion that cross-adaptation was as effective as self-adaptation. When Thibetolide was the adapting stimulus, shifts in identification threshold and magnitude estimates for Galaxolide were significantly less than those obtained for Thibetolide, suggesting that cross-adaptation was less effective. This result is puzzling given the perceptual similarity of these two musky compounds: subjects did not distinguish between them during random presentation. The distinct odors of amyl acetate (banana) and d-limonene (orange) showed no cross-adaptation in either experiment.

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