Wake up and smell the efficiency!

11th June 2008

Coffee's aroma itself could improve efficiency in the workplace, according to research conducted at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia.

In a study which aimed to find non-pharmacological methods of improving workplace performance, 30 subjects were exposed to coffee and chocolate smells for ten-minute periods while undertaking tasks to test cognitive ability, pain tolerance, mood and typing skills.

The results, according to team leader and psychologist Dr Bryan Raudenbush, showed that the coffee aroma significantly improved typing accuracy and speed, while the scent of chocolate was beneficial to other cognitive skills. Dr Raudenbush surmised that the scents were most likely stimulating the reticular activating system, the area of the brain that is responsible for general alertness.

In further studies, Dr Raudenbush said, his team would be investigating how long these coffee aroma effects last.

The report on the research is currently being reviewed for publication in the American Journal of Psychology, having been presented as a paper at a medical conference earlier this year.