False recognition : a side effect of right-nostril odor perception

Abstract: Research on hemispheric lateralization of olfactory processes is limited and inconclusive. Right-nostril advantage in judging familiarity and intensity has been reported, while the left hemisphere has been suggested to be more involved in hedonic estimation and odor naming. The aim of the present work was to assess suggested differences in perception and memory for odors between stimulated nostrils. The results indicated no significant side-related differences in perceptions of familiarity, hedonics or intensity. In contrast, although hit rates were equal across nostrils, more false alarms were generated when odors were presented in the right nostril. This outcome may reflect easier access to semantic cues in the left compared to the right hemisphere, suggesting the right hemisphere to rely relatively more on emotional cues in odor memory retrieval. The observations of this work draw attention to the problematic encountered in differing conceptual frameworks and methodologies in laterality research.