Do you tend to get annoyed easily while driving? Do you swear easily? Researchers may have found a solution to make your car journeys more serene. As the Daily Mail reports, scientists have discovered that a peppermint oil air freshener would reduce the aggressive behavior of motorists.
This study was conducted on fifty volunteers by the team from the University of Northumbria (United Kingdom). If one part of the panel was subjected to the smell of peppermint via a diffuser, the other part did not smell any specific aroma. Aggressive driving behaviors were measured in a virtual reality driving simulator. Analysis indicated that the peppermint flavor significantly reduced aggressive driving behavior“, reports the study. Before and following the driving simulation, all drivers were asked regarding different feelings on a five-point scale: aggression, joy, stress, calm and alertness.
Less stress
As detailed in the English newspaper, drivers in the peppermint oil group showed aggressive driving behavior 21.6 times, on average, compared to 25.2 times for the control group, an increase of 16.7% . Another finding of the authors, those who were exposed to the smell of peppermint were more alert, less aggressive, less stressed and calmer than other motorists.
“The presence of aroma also produced medium-sized effects on some aspects of mood from pre-test levels. These results support the use of ambient aromas for modification of driving behaviors,” summarizes the report. study whose findings were published in the journal Human Psychopharmacology.