Development of a self-report scale to assess relaxation effects of flavors and fragrances

Abstract Stress is a modern social problem, and it is critical to cope with stress effectively to maintain one’s mental health. Several studies have demonstrated that relaxation helps alleviate depression and anxiety. Although several studies have assessed the relaxation effects of odors, currently,...

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Main Authors: Yoko Hosokawa, Yukio Goto, Kunihide Hoshino, Kensuke Okada
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-11912-z
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author Yoko Hosokawa
Yukio Goto
Kunihide Hoshino
Kensuke Okada
author_facet Yoko Hosokawa
Yukio Goto
Kunihide Hoshino
Kensuke Okada
author_sort Yoko Hosokawa
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Stress is a modern social problem, and it is critical to cope with stress effectively to maintain one’s mental health. Several studies have demonstrated that relaxation helps alleviate depression and anxiety. Although several studies have assessed the relaxation effects of odors, currently, no unified method exists that measures these subjective effects properly and efficiently. To address this gap, we developed the Relaxation Scale of Flavors and Fragrances (RSFF) and examined its structure, reliability, and validity. Two repeated surveys were administered among 110 participants to assess the relaxation effects of flavors and fragrances. The exploratory factor analysis results based on the first survey revealed a three-factor structure as follows: liberation, nostalgia, and negative emotions. Confirmatory factor analysis based on the second survey confirmed this structure. Reliability testing confirmed excellent internal consistency based on Cochran’s alpha, and satisfactory test–retest reliability based on the correlation coefficient between the two repeated surveys’ results. Correlations with the Profile of Mood States revealed satisfactory construct validity. This study’s findings establish the RSFF as a tool for assessing the subjective relaxation effects of flavors and fragrances.
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spelling doaj-art-f2a587a281644c5ca2076d31497b14b32025-08-20T03:46:01ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111110.1038/s41598-025-11912-zDevelopment of a self-report scale to assess relaxation effects of flavors and fragrancesYoko Hosokawa0Yukio Goto1Kunihide Hoshino2Kensuke Okada3Corporate Research & Development Division, Takasago International CorporationCorporate Research & Development Division, Takasago International CorporationCorporate Research & Development Division, Takasago International CorporationGraduate School of Education, The University of TokyoAbstract Stress is a modern social problem, and it is critical to cope with stress effectively to maintain one’s mental health. Several studies have demonstrated that relaxation helps alleviate depression and anxiety. Although several studies have assessed the relaxation effects of odors, currently, no unified method exists that measures these subjective effects properly and efficiently. To address this gap, we developed the Relaxation Scale of Flavors and Fragrances (RSFF) and examined its structure, reliability, and validity. Two repeated surveys were administered among 110 participants to assess the relaxation effects of flavors and fragrances. The exploratory factor analysis results based on the first survey revealed a three-factor structure as follows: liberation, nostalgia, and negative emotions. Confirmatory factor analysis based on the second survey confirmed this structure. Reliability testing confirmed excellent internal consistency based on Cochran’s alpha, and satisfactory test–retest reliability based on the correlation coefficient between the two repeated surveys’ results. Correlations with the Profile of Mood States revealed satisfactory construct validity. This study’s findings establish the RSFF as a tool for assessing the subjective relaxation effects of flavors and fragrances.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-11912-zRelaxationOdorPsychological scaleNostalgiaConstruct validityTest–retest reliability
spellingShingle Yoko Hosokawa
Yukio Goto
Kunihide Hoshino
Kensuke Okada
Development of a self-report scale to assess relaxation effects of flavors and fragrances
Scientific Reports
Relaxation
Odor
Psychological scale
Nostalgia
Construct validity
Test–retest reliability
title Development of a self-report scale to assess relaxation effects of flavors and fragrances
title_full Development of a self-report scale to assess relaxation effects of flavors and fragrances
title_fullStr Development of a self-report scale to assess relaxation effects of flavors and fragrances
title_full_unstemmed Development of a self-report scale to assess relaxation effects of flavors and fragrances
title_short Development of a self-report scale to assess relaxation effects of flavors and fragrances
title_sort development of a self report scale to assess relaxation effects of flavors and fragrances
topic Relaxation
Odor
Psychological scale
Nostalgia
Construct validity
Test–retest reliability
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-11912-z
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AT kensukeokada developmentofaselfreportscaletoassessrelaxationeffectsofflavorsandfragrances