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Smell lights up whole concepts in the brain, through what psychologists call "associative networks," explains New Jersey-based Gilbert. The science of smell got a big boost in 2004 when American researchers Richard Axel and Linda Buck won a Nobel Prize for discovering the large family of about a thousand genes for odour receptors and clarifying how the system works. In his lab at Northwestern University, neuroscientist Jay Gottfried uses magnetic resonance imaging techniques to study the effects of odours on the brain. "Smell has very intimate access to parts of the brain involved in emotion and memory," he explains. "How a person perceives a smell is all about familiarity and cognitive context."

Another experiment, looking at charitable behaviour, found those in the lemony-fresh room expressed more interest in volunteering for a service project and donating money. Twenty-two per cent said they'd like to give money, compared to 6 per cent of those with unteased nostrils.

"Experiencing cleanliness through smell activated associations of virtue and moral purity and drove behaviour more that way," explains study co-author Chen-Bo Zhong, a business professor at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. His study was recently published online in Psychological Science.

As for improving personal behaviour, Gilbert suggests that students could use scents that get them in the right state of mind to study.

What fragrance says "work hard"? "That's a very personal choice," says Gilbert. "It's like what kind of music someone listens to while studying. Some might choose classical, others Metallica. College kids tend to use a phenomenal amount of Febreze."