Researchers at the University of Northumbria have found that the scent of peppermint essential oil reduces the level of aggression behind the wheel. Study published magazine Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental.
50 subjects took part in the study. All participants were divided into two groups: in the first group, the volunteers drove in virtual reality and could also smell mint, and participants in the second group could not.
The driving session was accompanied by abrupt maneuvers of other road users, including sudden braking and changing lanes without the turn signals on. This was supposed to create outbursts of aggression among the volunteers. As it turned out, those who felt the aroma of mint behaved more calmly: participants violated traffic rules less often and commented negatively on the actions of other road users.
“The difference was small, but it was still there. Aggressive driving is a real problem that needs to be addressed. Many drivers use scent devices in their cars. It seems reasonable to us to use ones that can improve driving behavior,” the scientists said.
According to members of the research team, they will continue to study how odors affect human behavior in the future.