| Abstract | Uvod: Eterično ulje paprene metvice ima potencijalne blagodati na kratkoročno pamćenje radi prisutnosti mentola, njegove aktivne komponente. Mentol se pokazao kao snažan stimulans koji može poboljšati fokusiranje i koncentraciju. Kada je izložen mirisu eteričnog ulja paprene metvice, mozak može doživjeti povećanu budnost i osvježenje, što može pozitivno utjecati na kratkoročno pamćenje.
Cilj istraživanja: Glavni cilj ovog istraživačkog rada bio je istražiti razliku u kratkoročnom pamćenju niza nasumičnih slika tijekom izloženosti mirisu eteričnog ulja paprene metvice i bez izloženosti.
Ispitanici i metode: U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 128 ispitanika, od toga 98 žena i 30 muškaraca. U istraživanju je korišten unaprijed postavljeni obrazac kako bi se osigurala potpuna anonimnost, a omogućila vezana mjerenja; svi ispitanici su pri mjerenju dobili obrazac na kojem su se nalazila označena mjesta za upis naziva objekata sa zapamćenih slika. Od demografskih podataka prikupljeni su spol i godina rođenja.
Dobiveni rezultati obrađeni su u programu za obradu podataka MedCalc i Microsoft Excel 2010. Analiza podataka uključuje deskriptivnu statistiku, Kormogovljev-Smirnovljev test za testiranje normalnosti, Wilcoxonov test te Spearmanov test korelacije, sve na razini značajnosti p<0,05.
Rezultati: Statistička analiza i izvedeni testovi nisu uspjeli pokazati značajne razlike u performansama kratkoročnog pamćenja između eksperimentalne i kontrolne skupine. (p= 0.2271). Podaci su pokazali da izloženost ulju paprene metvice nije dovela do cjelokupnog očekivanog poboljšanja pamćenja. Osim toga, kratkoročno pamćenje je jednako kod osoba muškog i ženskog spola.(Za ženski spol p-vrijednost iznosila je 0.3 dok je za muški spol p=0.49). Isto tako, testirala se povezanost između memoriranja zadanih slika i dobi ispitanika. I u ovom slučaju, prihvaća se nulta hipoteza, što znači da razlike nisu značajno različite od nule. (p= 0.12) Međutim, grupirajući sudionike ispitivanja prema njihovoj godini rođenja dolazi se do statistički relevantnih rezultata. Smatraju se statističkih relevantnim podacima, sa p-vrijednosti jednakom 0.04, ispitanika rođenih između 1965. i 1989. godine. Preostale dvije dobne skupine nisu, u konačnici, imale značajne p vrijednosti (za rođene između 1990. i 1999. godine p= 0,74 i za one rođene nakon 2000. godine p=0.96). |
| Abstract (english) | Introduction: Peppermint essential oil has potential benefits on short-term memory due to the presence of menthol, its active component. Menthol has been shown to be a powerful stimulant that can improve focus and concentration. When exposed to the aroma of peppermint essential oil, the brain may experience increased alertness and refreshment, which can positively impact short-term memory.
Objectives: The main objective of this research was to investigate the difference in short-term memory of a series of random images during exposure to the scent of peppermint essential oil and without exposure.
Participants and methods: The study included 128 participants, 98 females and 30 males. To ensure complete anonymity and facilitate paired measurements, all participants received a form during the measurements with marked spaces to write the names of objects from the memorized images. Demographic data such as gender and year of birth were collected.
The obtained results were processed using the data processing software MedCalc and Microsoft Excel 2010. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for normality, Wilcoxon's test, and Spearman's correlation test, all at a significance level of p < 0.05.
Results: The statistical analysis and conducted tests failed to demonstrate significant differences in the performance of short-term memory between the experimental and control groups (p = 0.2271). The data indicated that exposure to peppermint oil did not lead to the anticipated overall memory improvement. Furthermore, short-term memory was found to be equal in individuals of both genders (For females, the p-value was 0.3, while for males, p = 0.49). Similarly, the correlation between memorizing given images and participants' age was examined. In this case as well, the null hypothesis is accepted, implying that the differences are not significantly different from zero (p = 0.12). However, by grouping the participants based on their year of birth, statistically relevant results were obtained. Notably, statistically significant data were observed for participants born between 1965 and 1989, with a p-value of 0.04. Ultimately, the remaining two age groups did not show significant p-values (for those born between 1990 and 1999, p = 0.74, and for those born after 2000, p = 0.96).
Conclusion: This study exploring the effects of peppermint essential oil on short-term memory in participants contributed to only partially successful statistical analysis. Despite the lack of more significant statistical results, it was observed that exposure to the scent of peppermint essential oil positively influences short-term memory in participants born between 1965 and 1989. |
