Imagine walking into a high-stakes meeting, a salary negotiation, or even a casual encounter with a stranger.
What if the key to making the other person trust you more wasn’t in your words, but in the air around you?
According to research from Leiden University in the Netherlands, something as simple as the scent of lavender could tip the scales in your favor, making people more inclined to trust you.
In a fascinating study, researchers found that participants in a lavender-scented room were significantly more likely to trust complete strangers compared to those in a room scented with peppermint or no scent at all.
The implications are striking—could the right fragrance subtly shift outcomes in negotiations, sales, and even interpersonal relationships?
The Science Behind Lavender’s Influence on Trust
“Lavender has this effect because of its calming property,” explained cognitive psychologist Lorenza Colzato in an interview with Time Magazine.
“This hypothesis is supported by the fact that, from an anatomical point of view, the olfactory nerve is connected to the medial prefrontal cortex, a brain region that ‘controls’ the way we trust others.”
Previous research has already suggested that trust is a highly malleable trait, influenced by environmental and situational factors.
One 1997 study even found that pleasant aromas increased prosocial behaviors, such as helping a stranger pick up dropped items or offering change in a transaction.
But until now, the connection between scent and interpersonal trust had never been directly tested.
How the Experiment Worked
To explore this connection, ninety study participants were paired up and played what is known as the “trust game” in one of three environments: a lavender-scented room, a peppermint-scented room, and a room with no artificial scent.
The trust game is a psychological experiment used to measure cooperative behavior.
One participant, known as the trustor, is given a sum of money and must decide whether to keep it or share it with a complete stranger, the trustee.
Any money given away is tripled, after which the trustee has the option to either keep the extra money for themselves or return a portion to the trustor—testing their level of trust and reciprocity.
The results were clear and compelling: Participants in the lavender-scented room consistently shared more money than those in the peppermint-scented or unscented rooms, demonstrating a higher level of trust toward strangers.
Breaking the Common Assumption About Scent and Behavior
Traditionally, people associate scent marketing with consumer behavior—think of bakeries piping out the smell of fresh bread to lure in customers or luxury stores using signature fragrances to enhance their brand experience.
But this study suggests something more profound: scent doesn’t just influence what we buy—it influences how we connect with other people.
This challenges the common belief that trust is primarily built through verbal and nonverbal communication, such as eye contact, body language, and tone of voice.
While these factors are undeniably important, the study shows that something as subtle and passive as an ambient scent can play a crucial role in shaping social interactions.
Where Can This Be Used?
If lavender can subconsciously increase trust, the real-world applications are staggering.
- Business & Sales Negotiations: Real estate agents, car salespeople, and retailers might benefit from introducing lavender into their offices and stores to create an environment that encourages trust and cooperation.
- Courtrooms & Legal Settings: Could carefully chosen scents help witnesses feel more comfortable and encourage honesty in testimony?
- Therapy & Counseling: Trust is essential in mental health settings—could aromatherapy enhance patient-therapist relationships?
- Online and Remote Work Environments: While scent doesn’t travel through screens, companies could use lavender-scented office spaces or recommend its use in home offices to foster trust in virtual meetings.
Why One Works and the Other Doesn’t
It’s worth noting that peppermint had no such effect on trust.
In fact, previous research has linked peppermint with increased alertness and focus, but not relaxation or social bonding.
This makes sense when considering how different scents affect the brain—while lavender is associated with calm and emotional openness, peppermint stimulates areas linked to cognitive sharpness and vigilance.
What’s Next?
While lavender’s trust-enhancing effect has now been scientifically demonstrated, researchers are only beginning to scratch the surface of how scent impacts our social interactions.
Future studies could explore how combinations of scents influence different types of behavior or whether individual scent preferences play a role in their effectiveness.
So, the next time you need to win someone over, negotiate a better deal, or simply create a sense of openness, consider lighting a lavender-scented candle or using an essential oil diffuser.
The science suggests it just might work.
Source: Time Magazine
