#13: Can a smell make you happy?

Olfaction is of great importance for our psychological well-being. Psychologist Anna Oleszkiewicz from the University of Wrocław explains in this episode how our sense of smell and our state of mind are connected. Anna investigates how olfactory input influences our ability to function socially and psychologically. Also, she works on improving the so-called “Sniffin’ Sticks” tests, which are an essential tool in the field of olfactory training: approximately 5 % of the general population has a dysfunctional sense of smell and a further 20 % has a severe olfactory impairment. Anna’s goal is to bring medical knowledge on human olfactory processing and psychological science closer together.