Evaluating the contributions of cognition and decision to work productivity in aromatic environments

Abstract

While some evidence suggests that indoor aromatic environments can enhance productivity, it remains unclear whether such improvements arise primarily from cognitive enhancements or from shifts in the speed-accuracy trade-off (SAT). Thus, it is essential to quantify their respective contributions for elucidating the pathways through which aromatic environments influence productivity and for informing office environmental design guidelines. In this study, two complementary experiments were conducted to examine the effects of aromatic environments on work productivity and to disentangle the relative contributions of cognitive improvement versus SAT. In Experiment 1, forty‐four participants completed a series of neurobehavioral tasks under three types of odors (rosemary, lemon, and peppermint) at varying concentrations and release intervals. Meanwhile, work productivity was evaluated by the inverse efficiency score (IES). In Experiment 2, cognitive demands were held constant, while decision-making was manipulated via verbal instructions to fit a standard SAT curve. Additionally, the proportional contributions of cognitive enhancement and decision adjustment to the observed productivity gains were computed by effect‐decomposition methods. The results suggest that all three odors significantly reduced IES, thereby improving work productivity. In easier tasks, productivity gains were driven predominantly by SAT. In more difficulty tasks, cognitive improvements accounted for a larger share of productivity gains. Moreover, different odors were associated with distinct proportions of cognitive and decision-related contributions to productivity. This study provides specific recommendations for implementing aromatic interventions in office environments to improve employee productivity.