Have you ever been to an open house viewing and the realtor had some fresh cookies baking? All of the sudden you feel like this could be your home- a place where your family gathers.
This isn’t just a fun snack for tours, this is actually a scientifically studied phenomenon called Olfactory Psychology and links scents to perception, memory, and behavior.
Researchers (not just one single study, but a cluster of experiments often cited together) found that:
Oatmeal cookie / baked goods scent:
- Triggers feelings of warmth, comfort, and nostalgia
- Makes people more likely to linger longer in spaces
- Can increase generosity and friendliness
What’s really going on is that smells activate mental associations without you realizing it- cookies prime “home/comfort.”
A very relevant study is:
“Ambient scent and consumer behavior” (1996) by Eric Spangenberg shows how scents like baked goods (including cookie-like smells) affect shoppers.
Findings:
- Pleasant food scents (like cookies or vanilla):
- Increased time spent in store
- Improved mood and evaluations of the environment
- Sometimes increased purchasing likelihood
So next time you are trying to make someone feel like home- bake something!
-Allison Newton