Scent of Luxury: Culturally Shaped Fragrances for Product Evaluation in Virtual Reality

Sarah Victoria Mohr ()
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Sarah Victoria Mohr: University of Bayreuth, Faculty of Law and Economics - Marketing and Consumer Behaviour

A chapter in XR and Metaverse, 2026, pp 227-238 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract With the increasing use of virtual reality (VR), the question arises of as to how product perception can be positively influenced when visual presentation is limited by resolution and haptic feedback is absent. Evidence from retail contexts suggests that olfactory cues can significantly enrich product perception. Especially culturally shaped scents may hold potential, as their associated meanings are deeply rooted through decades of cultural conditioning. An experimental VR study investigated the effect of a culturally shaped leather scent on the perception of luxury during the presentation of two automobiles in VR headsets- one accompanied by a leather scent and one without any scent. The results reveal a statistically significant increase in perceived luxury for the vehicle presented with the leather scent. Interestingly, despite 77% of participants not consciously perceiving the scent, electrodermal activity data suggest a subconscious effect. These findings open new avenues for research and practical application, highlighting the potential of targeted scent integration to enhance product evaluation in virtual product presentations.

Keywords: Virtual reality (VR); Scent; Product evaluation; Multisensory; Cultural frames; Study on psychological and physiological response (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:prbchp:978-3-032-11983-4_17

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-11983-4_17

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