The Impact Of Colour On Odour Perception In Binary Mixtures At Varying Intensity Ratios

This study forms part of a broader investigation into the cross-modal effects of colour on odour perception. Previous research has shown that colour can influence perceived odour intensity, particularly in binary mixtures matched for perceptual strength (Arao et al., 2012). However, these findings were limited to a single odourant pair, isobornyl cyclohexanol and limonene, and did not consider how perceived intensity asymmetries might affect colour–odour interactions. The present study extends this work by testing additional odourants, allyl caproate and cis-3 hexenol, and examining colour effects across three mixture types. These include a perceptually balanced 1:1 blend and two unbalanced mixtures where one component dominates. This design enables investigation of colour’s role in modulating perception under varying odour dominance, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of multisensory integration.