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Comparison of the Effect of Orange and Jasmine Scents on the Short-Time Learning of Dental Students

    Authors

    1 Clinical Research Development Unit, Faculty of Dentistry, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran

    2 PhD in Educational Psychology, Tehran, Iran.

    3 Faculty of Welfare and Social Health Sciences, Tehran Azad University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

    4 Assistant professor, Department of Community Oral Health, School of Dentistry, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran

,

Document Type : Original Article

Abstract

Introduction: Education and learning have always been regarded as a reciprocal process. Olfactory stimuli can act as effective contextual cues and enhance the recall or recognition of prior information, thereby increasing the effectiveness of recent messages. Therefore, the present study was designed to compare the effect of orange and jasmine scents on the exam scores of dental students.
Methods: This clinical trial study was a within-subject type including students who had taken the oral health and community dentistry course. Twelve of these students were randomly selected as the sample. After obtaining the code of ethics, the study was conducted in theoretical oral health class 2, a one-credit course with 16 theoretical sessions. Three sessions were devoted to each scent, whereas three extra sessions served as the control bunch and were conducted without any scent. In the intervention sessions, the scent was given to the understudies, and within the taking after session, a written exam comprised of five multiple-choice questions on the taught material was administered. A score of 1 was awarded for correct answers and 0 for incorrect ones. The data from this study were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and SPSS software version 26.
Conclusion: The findings underscore the positive impact of sensory stimuli, such as orange and Jasmine fragrances, on students' learning outcomes. Incorporating such fragrances into educational settings can enhance the effectiveness and quality of the teaching process, fostering improved academic performance and engagement.

Keywords

References
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Horizon of Medical Education Development
Volume 16, Issue 4
January 2026
Pages 122-134
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