Information-Processing in Chemosensory Experience

描述（由申请人提供）：我们研究的总体目标是 了解人们的主观体验是如何从接触到挥发性的 有机化合物（VOC）与（1）感官和生理信号有关 （2）由暴露引起的心理过程 感知，记忆和判断，这些信号之间的调解， 主观经验研究方法使用信息处理 化学传感器暴露的分析。我们迄今为止的研究结果表明， 这一分析表明，人们对化学物质影响的报告， 暴露在很大程度上取决于他们对挥发性有机化合物和暴露的预期 这些报告受到各种因素的影响， 历史和性格类型。拟议的研究将扩展这些发现 三个方向。在目标1下进行的研究将描述具体的 人们对VOC暴露的期望和心理模型。这 信息对于设计有关VOC的有效沟通至关重要 exposure.一旦这些心智模型的主要特征 第二组研究（目标2）将研究这些模型是如何 用于将科学信息、信念和享乐评价结合起来， 气味来判断涉及VOC暴露的风险。该信息 对于预测和解释症状和健康问题至关重要 社区和工作环境中的人，当接触伴随着 化学感觉线索，如气味和刺激。目标3 将试图阐明介导转化的生物学途径 通过将呼吸模式与主观报告相关联， 自主反应的特点操纵的精神 VOC暴露模型。 这些研究的结果将提供有关以下因素相互作用的新信息： 急性不良反应的心理和生理机制 在日常环境中的化学感受暴露。结果可以帮助 健康专业人员在解释和缓解不良反应方面的作用 VOC暴露，并可用于开发认知和行为 减少对良性化学感觉的适应不良自主唤醒的干预措施 线索这些信息还可以帮助公共和私人组织 设计有效的风险沟通，以缓解公众健康问题 关于VOC

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall goal of our research is to understand how people's subjective experiences from exposure to a volatile organic chemical (VOC) are related to (1) the sensory and physiological signals that are elicited by the exposure and to (2) the psychological processes of perception, memory and judgment that mediate between these signals and subjective experience. The research approach uses an information-processing analysis of chemosensory exposure. Our findings to date show the utility of this analysis by demonstrating that people's reports of the effects of chemical exposure depend heavily on their expectancies about the VOC and the exposure situation, and that these reports are modulated by factors such as exposure history and personality type. The proposed research will extend these findings in three directions. Studies conducted under Aim 1 will characterize specific expectancies and mental models that people have for VOC exposure. This information is essential for designing effective communications about VOC exposure. Once the major characteristics of these mental models have been delineated, a second set of studies (Aim 2) will examine how these models are used to incorporate scientific information, beliefs, and hedonic appraisals of odors to make judgments of risk involving VOC exposures. This information is essential for predicting and interpreting the symptoms and health concerns of people in community and work environments when exposure is accompanied by chemosensory cues, such as odor and irritation. Studies conducted wider Aim 3 will try to elucidate the biological pathways that mediate the transformation of chemical signals to subjective reports by correlating breathing patterns and autonomic responses to manipulations of the characteristics features of mental models of VOC exposure. Results from these studies will provide new information about the interplay of psychological and physiological mechanisms underlying acute, adverse responses to chemosensory exposures in everyday environments. The results can assist health professionals in the interpretation and alleviation of adverse response to VOC exposures and can be used to develop cognitive and behavioral interventions to reduce maladaptive autonomic arousal to benign chemosensory cues. This information can also aid public and private organizations in the design of effective risk communication to alleviate public health concerns about VOCs.