Baked goods just as they come out of the oven, a patch of roses as you walk by, and the smell of the opposite sex’s body odor may be exactly what a person’s nose is itching to sniff. In fact, it may be what attracts a person to the opposite sex.
B.O. in this case means any type of bodily odor, not just stinky sweat. It means any type of odor that the body produces naturally. And yes, each sex is attracted to it.
According to an article posted on psychologytoday.com titled “Sensoria,” Gayil Nalls explained how a person’s personal “odor-prints” play a huge role in how they choose significant others. Nalls wrote that each smell is as unique as a person’s fingerprints.
These smells are noticed in an unconscious way and usually attract people in a sexual way. So how do the different smells like cologne or perfume affect the opposite sex?
Karman Wilson, a senior communication major from St. George, said her sense of smell is heightened.
“I can tell when a person smells good or bad, and it affects me,” Wilson said. “When I used to date, I made it a point to tell the other person how sensitive my nose was.”
Wilson said this always made dates try their hardest to smell good.
“A good-smelling man is always attractive,” Wilson said. “But if they decide to bathe in their cologne, it tends to give me a headache. There is always a point when you can go too far and use too much.”
Spencer Anderson, a junior business major from Phoenix, said perfume is good but people can use too much.
“If a person smells good, then it’s definitely more attractive than someone who stinks,” Anderson said. “But smell can be overpowering and that is never good.”
Anderson said there is never a problem with just a clean body.
“As long as somebody is clean, their natural smell is probably the best,” Anderson said. “I like perfume but some stinks too.”
Anderson said his favorite scent is the smell of ocean, but he doesn’t want the women he dates smelling that way.
“I guess I like sweeter smells,” Anderson said. “So if that means I like a fruity smell better, then I like a fruity smell.”
While the psychology of peoples olfactory senses indicates humans are attracted to each other by their natural smell, some Dixie State College students indicate that both scents have a huge impact in their attraction to the opposite sex.
