UC San Diego

This chapter will illustrate some techniques and procedures relevant to the study of the functional properties of human olfaction. Rather than deal with methodology in detail, we will deal largely with the outcome of psychophysical work on the premise that outcome illustrates methodology best. Although olfaction may be the least well understood of the five classical senses, there do exist solid data on various of its functions. We will cover only a few here and will occasionally highlight techniques that may prove of interest to a person who wishes to evaluate the modality clinically. First, however, we will look briefly at matters of stimulus control.