Using Scent to Improve Test Taking Skills

Whether you are studying for an exam or preparing for a presentation, the process of remembering all that new material can be a little easier and more effective with the use of scent. As it turns out, all those notes and all that hi-lighting really doesn't do much to help your brain with the memory encoding process. To understand why scent has such an impact - you have to gain an understanding of the memory encoding process.

The brain has to do a lot of work in order to get new information from short-term memory into long-term memory. That specific process is called memory encoding. According to Weinstein and Mayer, in order for learning to occur, "the information in short-term memory must be manipulated or transformed. The person will have to rehearse it, convert it, link it or perform some other action with the information or it will fade."(www.stemnet.nf.ca-dfuren/metacog/encoding-html)

With this knowledge of memory encoding in mind, the use of scent has been researched to retrieve memory. The Proust Phenomenon describes the ability of odors to automatically retrieve autobiographical memories in vivid details (Chu&Downes,2000). Examples of this phenomenon are memories of holidays coming forth with the scent of pine trees or roast turkey. This research then became more specific. The scientific term was: Context dependent memory - this simply means that the researchers were looking at retrieving memory in the same environment in which it was encoded; this led to better memory performance. One researcher, Schab, used odor as the contextual environment in which students studied and memory was encoded. Then the odor was reinstated at test time. Results indicated that memory performance was indeed better (Chu&Downes,2000). This process is also known as Olfactory Cuing. Specifically the odor is encoded along with the event details (studying for a test) and then the same odor serves as a cue in the retrieval of the memory (taking the test).

So how does all of this research translate to your test taking abilities or your presentation skills? Well the scent you use really doesn't matter. You just have to consistently use the same scent every time you study or practice. It also has to be a scent that you can take with you the day of the test or presentation. That leaves out candles or plug-in room fresheners. Aromatherapy essential oils work very well. Lemon essential oil is especially good for focus and attention. Peppermint essential oil helps with alertness. Rosemary essential oil assists with mental function. A few drops of the essential oil on a tissue will scent the study area for hours. Just keep the tissue in the study area and the scent will encode with the memory of the material you are studying. On test day take a tissue with the essential oil on it to the test area and the scent will improve memory performance. It will help the retrieval process because it will act as a cue for your brain. The research supports the results. What a pleasant way to start improving your grade point average or delivering complex presentations.