Information-Processing in Chemosensory Experience

描述(申请人提供)：我们研究的总体目标是 了解人们因暴露在不稳定的环境中的主观体验 有机化合物(VOC)与(1)感觉和生理信号有关 由暴露和(2)心理过程引起的 感知、记忆和判断，在这些信号和 主观体验。研究方法采用了信息处理的方法 化学感官暴露的分析。到目前为止，我们的发现表明了 这一分析表明，人们对化学物质影响的报道 暴露在很大程度上取决于他们对VOC和暴露的预期 情况，而且这些报告受到暴露等因素的影响 历史和性格类型。拟议中的研究将扩展这些发现 三个方向。在目标1下进行的研究将表征特定的 人们对VOC暴露的期望和心理模型。这 信息对于设计关于VOC的有效沟通是必不可少的 曝光。一旦这些心理模型的主要特征 勾勒出来的，第二组研究(目标2)将检验这些模型是如何 用于结合科学信息、信念和享乐主义对 气味来判断与VOC接触有关的风险。此信息是 对于预测和解释疾病的症状和健康问题至关重要 当人们在社区和工作环境中暴露时伴随着 化学感官提示，如气味和刺激性。进行了更广泛的研究目标3 将试图阐明介导这一转变的生物途径 通过关联呼吸模式和主观报告的化学信号 自主神经对心理特征特征操纵的反应 VOC暴露的模型。 这些研究的结果将提供关于相互作用的新信息 急性不良反应的心理和生理机制 与日常环境中的化学感官接触有关。这一结果可以帮助 卫生专业人员对不良反应的解读与缓解 暴露在VOC环境中，可用于发展认知和行为 减少不良自主神经对良性化学感觉的唤醒的干预措施 暗示。这些信息还可以帮助公共和私人组织在 设计有效的风险沟通以缓解公众健康担忧 关于挥发性有机化合物。

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.