What the nose knows - Olfaction and cognitive abilities

For any taxonomic model of cognitive abilities to be complete, lower-order sensory processes must be incorporated within its scope. The current study sought to address the role of olfactory processes within the theory of fluid and crystallized intelligence, as this sensory modality appears to have remained uninvestigated. Evidence from within experimental cognitive psychology suggests that olfactory memory is distinct from memory in other sensory modalities. Thus, this issue was also explored from an individual differences perspective. Participants (N= 107) were tested on a battery of 12 psychometric tests, 4 putative cognitive olfactory tasks, and 1 olfactory discrimination measure. The resultant data set was subjected to exploratory factor analysis. Results indicate the likely existence of an olfactory memory ability that is structurally independent of established higher-order abilities and not related to simple olfactory sensitivity. The implication of this finding to models of human cognitive abilities is discussed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.