In
two
experimental
field
studies,
the
hypothesis
was
tested
that
Pavlovian
condition-
ing
may
modify adults'
liking
or
disliking
of
an
odor.
In
Experiment
1,
an
odor
(CS)
was
first
paired
unobtrusively
with
toilet
stimuli
(US).
Next,
Ss
rated
the
experimental
and
a
control
odor
on
Semantic
Differential
items.
For
Ss
evaluating
going-to-the-
toilet
negatively,
an
acquired
dislike
for the
toilet-paired
odor
relative
to
a
nonexposed
control
odor
was
observed,
whereas
in
Ss
evaluating
going-to-the-toilet
positively,
the
reverse
was
observed.
In
Experiment
2, a
neutral
odor
(CS)
was
mixed
into
the
massage
oil
with
which
a
physiotherapist
treated
his
patients.
Half
of
the
Ss
were
treated
with
Positive-relaxing
massage,
half
of
the
Ss
with
Negative-painful
massage.
At
the medical
follow-up,
Semantic
Differential
ratings
were
obtained
both
for
the
treatment-odor
and
for
a
control
odor.
In
the
Positive
massage
group,
the
treatment
odor
was
rated
as
more positive
and as
less
dynamic
than
the
control
odor.
No
similar
effects
were
observed
in
the
Negative
massage
group,
a
failure
which
was
probably
due
to
the
intended
Negative
massage
not
really
being
experienced
as
a
disliked
event.
In
both
experiments,
an
almost
identical
pattern
of
results
was
observed
in
the
sub-
group
of
Ss
who
did
not
consciously
recognize
the
experimental
odor
as
the
treatment
odor,
eliminating
the
possibility
that
the results
should
be
due
to
demand.
As
mere
exposure
cannot
account
for the
results,
they most
probably
represent
genuine
in-
stances
of
evaluative
odor
conditioning.
The
results
are
discussed
in
terms
of
the
understanding
of
the
origins
of
the
affective
meaning
of
odorants,
and are
related
to
human
evaluative conditioning
and
implicit
memory
issues.