Psychometry

Wygasa

 Psychometry is a very efficient tool in many cases to deal with the problem of odours in a community. The psychometry is the evaluation of the odour complaints distribution by mean of questionnaires given to the people of neighbouring areas. The statistical analysis of the answers given by the neighbours is an starting point and it can help to design a campaign to measure odours by any other method.

The psychometry can give us answers such as:

  • The time-intervals when there is a maximum of complaints.
  • The location of the most problematic areas.
  • The possible source of the odours.
  • The odours with a less accepted hedonic tone by the community..

  The psychometric evaluation is a very effective tool, widely used in many countries (R. Cervinka et al., 2004, E. Gallmann et al., 2004). In Germany there is a norm that specially deals with the psychometric assessment, this is the VDI 3883.

  The Psychometric analysis is quite convenient as a screening study when the purpose is to measure odours by any other method such as field inspections, field olfactometry or dynamic olfactometry + dispersion model, however, this step is often forgotten in many odour studies.

 

Notes:

In New Zealand there is a very interesting norm based on a Psychometric analysis. + info there

 

Carlos Nietzsche Diaz Jimenez's Avatar

Carlos Nietzsche Diaz Jimenez

Carlos is the editor-chief of olores.org and has been in the odour world since 2001. Since then, Carlos has attended over 90 conferences in odour management, both national and international and authored a few papers on the subject. He has also organized a few international meetings and courses. Carlos owns a small company named Ambiente et Odora (AEO). He spends his free time with his wife and his twins, Laura and Daniel, and of course, writing on olores.org.

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