Less is (Just as Good as) More - an Investigation of Odor Intensity and Hedonic Valence in Mulsemedia QoE using Heart Rate and Eye Tracking

Abstract

Using olfactory media to enhance traditional multimedia content opens up novel opportunities for user interactions. Whilst the influence of olfaction on user experience in mulsemedia (multiple sensorial media) environments has been previously studied, the impact of the fundamental dimensions of scent intensity and valence (odor hedonic dimension or pleasantness) have been largely unexplored. This is precisely what we target in this paper, which reports the results of an empirical investigation examining how scent intensity and valence impact mulsemedia Quality of Experience (QoE). Accordingly, 54 participants were exposed to different odor valences and scent intensity levels when viewing three short multimedia clips. In particular, we examine both subjective (self-reported) as well as objective QoE metrics, as evidenced by user heart rates and eye gaze patterns. Results show that whilst eye gaze patterns are largely unaffected by the experimental conditions, valence does have a statistically significant impact upon user heart rates, as does intensity for two of the three clips employed in our study. In terms of subjective QoE, results indicate that hedonic valence impacts on the sense of reality and enjoyment; however varying odor intensity levels do not seem to differentially impact on user experience, bringing into question the need for strong scent intensities.

Examining Potential of Scents for Enhancement of User Performance with Mobile Apps

“…Indeed, previous work has highlighted the potential that olfaction has in e-learning [24], information recall [29], and word-search [26]. Moreover, we note that our heart rate profiles are in line with those obtained in previous studies [61,62] which indicated that olfactory stimuli have a relaxing and not distractive impact on users' QoE. Concluding, perhaps what our results do show is that olfactory stimuli are not necessarily a panacea in a digital context and that more research should be done on their targeted use.…”

Scenting Entertainment: Virtual Reality Storytelling, Theme Park Rides, Gambling, and Video-Gaming

“…As well as considering the importance of odour pleasantness, it is also worth noting that intensity is a relevant dimension of olfactory experience, sometimes being related to pleasantness and/or emotional impact of scent (Bao & Yamanaka, 2016), but also, on occasion, to phenomenal quality, with a small number of odourants being associated with a different odour source at different stimulus intensities (Koza et al, 2005;Kruger et al, 1955;Mesfin et al, 2020). Perceived odour intensity is obviously also influenced by distance from the source of scent delivery as well as the degree to which the scent-enabled device targets the direction of scent (see Aroma Shooter, 2020).…”

A Conceptual Architecture and a Framework for Dealing with Variability in Mulsemedia Systems

“…The results showed the framework's capability to adapt itself to different scenarios of usage through configuration, without requiring code change. These scenarios turned into a setting for other studies [1,4,9,19].…”

“…Therefore, the framework's architecture, which allows the possibility of combining different technologies in a customizable fashion, can be leveraged in mulsemedia environments without decreasing levels of user QoE in comparison with a monolithic system. Parallel user QoE research using the framework has been made available in multiple studies [1,4,[6][7][8][9].…”