A study from the Weizmann Institute of Science (Israel) found that when making friends, people are often drawn to those with similar body odors before establishing other common interests.
“Making friends from the first sniff: People are attracted to others who have a similar body scent“ – AFP reported with an intriguing headline about the study.
People with similar body odors are more likely to become friends – (Image source: JAPAN TIMES/GETTY)
In life, there are individuals who feel an instant connection at first sight, believed to be due to some form of connection or attraction. According to a new study published in the journal Science Advances, this may indeed be true, as individuals with similar body odors are more likely to become friends.
“Terrestrial mammals often sniff each other and rely on this to determine who is a friend and who is a foe” – the research team at the Weizmann Institute of Science stated.
Since people tend to seek friends who are similar to themselves, the research team hypothesized that humans might subconsciously detect their own scent and that of others to estimate body odor similarity and assess compatibility.
To explore the relationship between bonding and body odor in humans, the researchers conducted experiments with 20 pairs of friends (10 males and 10 females) aged 22 to 39, who reported feeling an attraction at first sight.
To eliminate external factors affecting the sample, all participants had to follow a strict protocol, including wearing a clean t-shirt, avoiding pungent foods, and sleeping away from each other.
The t-shirts were then provided to researchers in sealed bags and tested using an eNose – a device equipped with sensors capable of analyzing chemical components. The researchers found that pairs who felt an attraction at first sight had more similar body odors compared to those who did not.
The research team also conducted additional tests to confirm the hypothesis that individuals with similar body odors may find it easier to become friends.
The study also revealed that the more similar the body odors, the more they liked each other, understood each other, and felt a connection between them. The researchers suggest that quickly formed same-sex friendships may be due to similar body odors rather than coincidence.
