Question

neuroscientist artin arshamian and his team sought to determine what affects a persons perception of an odor as pleasant: is it culture, personal taste, or aspects of human anatomy? the team assessed odor preferences in ten groups of people with different modes of living (urban, agricultural, and hunter - gatherer) including the maniq people from a small community in thailand and urban dwellers from a large city in mexico. the team observed that across cultures, people generally rated odors about the same: ethyl butyrate, which smells like peaches, was typically rated more pleasant than mushroom alcohol, which smells like fungus. the teams study thus undermined the idea that ________. which choice most logically completes the text? a) a person who perceives certain odors as pleasant will likely perceive the odors as roughly equal in pleasantness. b) culture significantly influences whether a person perceives an odor as pleasant or unpleasant. c) people agree in their perception of odors as pleasant or unpleasant regardless of where they live. d) personal taste has little influence on whether odors are perceived as pleasant or unpleasant.

Explanation:

The text describes a study where a team assessed how different groups of people (from various cultures and lifestyles like urban - rural, different countries) rate odors. It found that across cultures, people generally rated certain odors the same in terms of pleasantness. This undermines the idea that culture significantly influences whether a person perceives an odor as pleasant or unpleasant. Option B aligns with this as it goes against the notion that culture has a strong impact on odor perception.

Answer:

B. culture significantly influences whether a person perceives an odor as pleasant or unpleasant.