Per Fumum Endowment Fund: In your view, what were the most striking or unexpected results from this last phase focused on social factors?
Marylou Mantel: “This phase aimed to examine how the social context—specifically, knowing other people’s preferences—can influence olfactory preference, and how this interacts with the genetic profile related to the beta-ionone olfactory receptor.
Unlike previous phases, the stimulus evaluated was not a perfume but a fruit juice containing or not containing beta-ionone. This choice followed a pilot study suggesting that the effect of genetic profile on olfactory preferences is more pronounced with this type of food product than with a perfume.
Our first objective was to confirm the existence of a preference difference according to genotype. This effect was not observed, which was surprising. It could be explained by minor differences in the protocol or simple statistical chance.
The second objective was to measure the effect of a social norm. One group received information that 80% of previous participants had preferred a particular sample; the other group received non-relevant information. Again, no difference in preference was observed, even though participants had noted the information provided, indicating that the presented social norm (80% supposed preference) had no effect on individual preferences.”
Per Fumum Endowment Fund: What links have you been able to establish between genetic sensitivity, brain responses, and social influence in hedonic odor perception?
Marylou Mantel: “Phase 1 demonstrated that preferences for perfumes containing varying levels of beta-ionone differ according to the olfactory receptor genotype.
The brain imaging data from Phase 2 are still being analyzed, so it is too early to draw conclusions.
Regarding the interaction between genetics and social context (Phase 3), the results so far do not allow for firm conclusions. However, the absence of an effect opens the way to new, more sensitive protocols, notably by reusing perfumes (as in Phase 1) and by strengthening the value of the manipulated social norm—for example, by associating the claimed preference with an expert rather than with peers.”
Per Fumum Endowment Fund: Beta-ionone was central to the study. Did you observe a different social influence depending on genetic profile?
Marylou Mantel: “No, not in this phase. No influence of genetic profile was found on the preference for the stimuli used, regardless of social context.”
Per Fumum Endowment Fund: What were the main challenges in setting up the social phase experimentally?
Marylou Mantel: “The main difficulty concerned manipulating the social context.
An ecological approach, directly confronting a participant with a group expressing its preferences, introduces many variables that are difficult to control (personality, charisma, social dynamics…). To limit these biases, we opted for a minimal and standardized manipulation: simple written information, as in other work in the field.
This allows precise control of the manipulated variable, but at the expense of realism. Nevertheless, this step remains essential, given the exploratory nature of our research question.”
Per Fumum Endowment Fund: How did the interdisciplinary nature of the project enrich your understanding of olfactory pleasure?
Marylou Mantel: “This approach, combining genetics, neuroscience, and social psychology, revealed the complexity of factors influencing olfactory preferences and the importance of studying their interactions.
It also enabled us to implement methodologies adapted to very different phenomena: sensory perception, individual variability, social behavior. We are already developing new protocols, with a particular interest in the interactions between social context and genetic factors.”
Per Fumum Endowment Fund: After three years of research, what lessons can perfumers and the fragrance industry take away?
Marylou Mantel: “The main lesson concerns the role of genetic profile.
It was already known that variations in the gene coding for the beta-ionone receptor modify its perception and hedonic evaluation. It had also been suggested that they influence food preferences. The novelty of this project is showing that these variations can also be associated with preference for perfumes formulated professionally.
Genetic profiles associated with low beta-ionone sensitivity may concern up to half of the population—a non-negligible issue for perfumery. Certain molecules used (for example, musks) are already known to have genetically determined perceptual variations. These differences can affect the perception of complex blends, for both perfumers themselves and consumers.
This project does not aim to exaggerate the role of genetics in the creation or appreciation of a perfume, but to highlight that it is part of a broader set of multiple factors—biological, physiological, cognitive, social—that influence olfactory evaluation.”
Per Fumum Endowment Fund: How do you envision the post-CLIO phase?
Marylou Mantel: “We are currently developing a new protocol to explore differently the relationship between genetics and social context.
The CLIO project helped structure an interdisciplinary research network involving multiple laboratories and fields (social psychology, neuroscience, genetics). This network will allow us to continue exploring these complex interactions, whether concerning beta-ionone or broader questions.”
