Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Definition
Smell aversion refers to a strong and negative reaction towards particular odors, often resulting from a traumatic experience or conditioning. It can lead to avoidance behaviors and heightened anxiety when exposed to the specific smell.
This is a learning process where an association is formed between two stimuli, resulting in a response being elicited by one stimulus when the other stimulus is present.