Want to appear trustworthy? Douse yourself in LAVENDER: Scent of aromatic herb promotes bonding, study claims

  • Researchers at Leiden University in the Netherlands say lavender can make you seem more trustworthy
  • They asked 60 volunteers to take part in a 'trust' study
  • Some were given the scent of lavender, peppermint or just nothing
  • People were more likely to lend money when they smelled lavender
  • Effect may be due to the calming effect of lavender 

By Jonathan O'Callaghan for MailOnline

Published: | Updated:

A study has claimed that the fragrance of lavender can have a positive effect on how trustworthy a person seems.

The researchers say that the scent of the plant promotes relaxation, which can help create mutual trust between two people.

And they say their findings could have important implications in areas such as team sports and negotiations.

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Researchers at Leiden University in the Netherlands say lavender (stock image shown) can make you seem more trustworthy. They asked 60 volunteers to take part in a 'trust' study. Some were given the scent of lavender, peppermint or just nothing. People were more likely to lend money when they smelled lavender

Researchers at Leiden University in the Netherlands say lavender (stock image shown) can make you seem more trustworthy. They asked 60 volunteers to take part in a 'trust' study. Some were given the scent of lavender, peppermint or just nothing. People were more likely to lend money when they smelled lavender

The study was carried out by Dr Roberta Sellaro and Dr Lorenza Colzato from Leiden University in the Netherlands and published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology.

Dr Colzato told MailOnline said that the effect was likely due to the calming effect of lavender.

This hypothesis is supported by the fact that, from an anatomical point of view, the olfactory nerve is connected to the medial prefrontal cortex a brain region that '“controls” the way we trust others,' she said. 

ARE PEOPLE MORE TRUSTWORTHY IN VIDEOS THAN IN PHOTOS?

Scientific research commissioned by RealPlayer Cloud and conducted with The University of Portsmouth revealed Brits believe we are more trustworthy, friendly and attractive in video than photos.

Both sexes perceive people more positively in video, although women are far less positive about their own sex. Men are overtly more willing to see improvements in other men. 

Videos and photographs of volunteers were used to develop an interactive psychology-driven study of 2,000 UK consumers. 

Participants were tasked with judging men and women in video and images based on their appearance, trustworthiness, friendliness, and strength, as well as probed on their own online sharing habits.

According to the data, men find other men more trustworthy than they do women in video than they do in photo. When women were asked the same question, they again found men more trustworthy than they found other women.  

To determine the effect of fragrances, the researchers enlisted 60 volunteers.

In the research, they exposed one group of test persons to the aroma of lavender, a second group to the aroma of peppermint and a third control group had no aroma.

Subsequently, the test persons played a trust game, to measure how much one test person trusts the other.

A trustor was given five euros and was free to decide how much of that money he would give to a trustee in each round of the game.

The trustor would then receive extra money, but only if the trustee gave him enough money in return.

The money transferred to the trustee by the trustor served as an indicator of mutual trust.

It was found that people gave significantly more money to the other person when they were exposed to the aroma of lavender than those exposed to peppermint or no aroma.

‘Our results might have various serious implications for a broad range of situations in which interpersonal trust is an essential element,’ said Dr Sellaro.

‘Smelling the aroma of lavender may help a seller to establish more easily a trusting negotiation to sell a car, or in a grocery store it may induce consumers to spend more money buying products.

‘The smell of lavender may also be helpful in sport psychology to enhance trust and build team spirit, for example in the case of team games such as soccer and volleyball.’ 

The researchers said the aroma of lavender may help a person establish an air of trust in negotiations, for example selling a car (stock image shown). The effect could be due to the calming effect of lavender, and the plant camille may apparently work the same way

The researchers said the aroma of lavender may help a person establish an air of trust in negotiations, for example selling a car (stock image shown). The effect could be due to the calming effect of lavender, and the plant camille may apparently work the same way

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