Data from: No effect of ambient odor on the affective appraisal of a desktop virtual environment with signs of disorder

Background: Desktop virtual environments (VEs) are increasingly deployed
to study the effects of environmental qualities and interventions on human
behavior and safety related concerns in built environments. For these
applications it is essential that users appraise the affective qualities
of the VE similar to those of its real world counterpart. Previous studies
have shown that factors like simulated lighting, sound and dynamic
elements all contribute to the affective appraisal of a desktop VE. Since
ambient odor is known to affect the affective appraisal of real
environments, and has been shown to increase the sense of presence in
immersive VEs, it may also be an effective tool to tune the affective
appraisal of desktop VEs. This study investigated if exposure to ambient
odor can modulate the affective appraisal of a desktop VE with signs of
public disorder. Method: Participants explored a desktop VE representing a
suburban neighborhood with signs of public disorder (neglect, vandalism
and crime), while being exposed to either room air or subliminal levels of
unpleasant (tar) or pleasant (cut grass) ambient odor. Whenever they
encountered signs of disorder they reported their safety related concerns
and associated affective feelings. Results: Signs of crime in the desktop
VE were associated with negative affective feelings and concerns for
personal safety and personal property. However, there was no significant
difference between reported safety related concerns and affective
connotations in the control (no-odor) and in each of the two ambient odor
conditions. Conclusion: Ambient odor did not affect safety related
concerns and affective connotations associated with signs of disorder in
the desktop VE. Thus, semantic congruency between ambient odor and a
desktop VE may not be sufficient to influence its affective appraisal, and
a more realistic simulation in which simulated objects appear to emit
scents may be required to achieve this goal.