People readily perceive and react to the body odors of other people, which creates a wide range of implications for affective, cognitive, and behavioral responses. In this article, we provide an overview of recent research in this area. We summarize the process by which people associate body odors with different kinds of interpersonally relevant information, briefly review two lines of research on responses to strangers’ body odors (research on olfactory cues and emotions, research on olfactory cues and impression formation), and review new research on the psychological consequences of smelling loved ones’ odors—including consequences for stress reduction and sleep enhancement. We conclude with a discussion of emerging research questions and methodological considerations that may help guide future inquiry into the various ways that the odors of other people influence one’s emotions, cognitions, relationships, and health.

人们容易感知并对其他人的体味做出反应，这对情感，认知和行为反应产生了广泛的影响。在本文中，我们概述了该领域的最新研究。我们总结了人们将体味与不同类型的人际关系相关的信息相关联的过程，简要回顾了关于陌生人体味反应的两类研究（嗅觉暗示和情绪研究，嗅觉暗示和印象形成研究），并回顾了关于闻到亲人气味的心理后果的新研究，包括减轻压力和增强睡眠的后果。