32394
document
Expectancies , not aroma , explain impact of lavender aromatherapy on psychophysiological indices of relaxation in young healthy women . OBJECTIVES In aromatherapy , lavender aroma is reputed to assist with relaxation . However , while there is much anecdotal evidence to that effect , the empirical literature is very inconsistent . Failure to employ adequate placebos , proper blinding , objective measures , or screening of prior beliefs about aromatherapy means that many previous findings could have been influenced by expectancy biases . The present study sought to establish whether lavender aroma and/or expectancies affect post-stress relaxation . DESIGN A double-blind , 3 ( aroma ) x 3 ( instruction ) x 10 ( time in minutes ) mixed-factorial placebo-controlled trial . METHOD In a laboratory , 96 healthy undergraduate women were exposed to lavender , placebo , or no aroma during physiologically assessed relaxation after an arousing cognitive task . Where an aroma was presented , an instructional priming procedure was used to manipulate participants ' expectancies about the aroma 's likely impact on their ability to relax . RESULTS Results showed no effect of aroma on galvanic skin response during relaxation . However , the nature of instructional prime was associated with relaxation patterns : when expecting the aroma to inhibit them , participants relaxed more ; when expecting facilitation , participants relaxed less . The effect was not seen with regard to self-reported relaxation ( as represented by changes in state anxiety ) and was independent of ratings of attitudes towards aromatherapy . CONCLUSIONS The findings imply that the previous associations of lavender aroma with assisted relaxation may have been influenced by expectancy biases , and that the relevant expectancies are easily manipulable .
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Intervention_Pharmacological
lavender aromatherapy
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Intervention_Pharmacological
aromatherapy , lavender aroma
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Intervention_Control
placebos
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Intervention_Pharmacological
lavender aroma
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Intervention_Control
mixed-factorial placebo-controlled
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Intervention_Pharmacological
exposed to lavender
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Intervention_Control
placebo
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Intervention_Educational
cognitive task
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Intervention_Control
lavender aroma
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Outcome_Other
aroma on galvanic skin response
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Outcome_Mental
relaxation patterns
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Outcome_Mental
relaxed
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Outcome_Mental
relaxed
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Outcome_Mental
self-reported relaxation
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Outcome_Mental
attitudes
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Participant_Age
young
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Participant_Condition
healthy
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Participant_Sex
women
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Participant_Sample-size
96
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Participant_Condition
healthy
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Participant_Sex
women