This article is the third in a series designed to help parents, family members, educators, and community members better understand gender differences so we can more effectively support the children, youth, and families in our care. My first editorial examined how boys and girls differ in the way they see the world, and the second explored gender differences in how girls, boys, women, and men hear. This third article turns to another essential sense — how they experience smell differently.

As we explore these sensory distinctions, it’s important to remember why they matter. Recognizing gender differences — biological, developmental, and social — doesn’t mean boxing people into rigid categories. It means understanding the diverse ways humans perceive, process, and respond to the world so we can meet them where they are. When used thoughtfully, this knowledge becomes a tool for empathy, not limitation.

Scientists have been studying sex differences in smell since the late 1800s, and while findings vary, a clear pattern emerges: across many studies, women tend to outperform men on tests of odor detection, discrimination, and identification. Biology offers one explanation. The olfactory bulb — the brain region responsible for processing smell — contains significantly more cells in women than in men. Women also have a higher number of neurons and glial cells involved in interpreting scent, giving them more biological “equipment” to work with.

These differences appear early in life. Some researchers argue that girls show stronger olfactory abilities even in infancy. As they grow, many girls and women become adept at recognizing and remembering familiar scents, often insisting that subtle differences in smell really do matter. For many boys, however, scent simply doesn’t play the same role in how they interpret their surroundings.

Hormones also shape smell sensitivity. Women’s sense of smell often shifts with the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and other hormonal changes — explaining why certain odors can suddenly become overwhelming or nauseating. Men, by contrast, tend to be better at detecting musk�’like odors associated with androsterone. Evolutionary theories suggest this may once have influenced mate selection or social signaling, though its relevance today is far less clear.

What is clear is that smell plays a meaningful role in how humans relate to one another. Body odor can subtly shape our impressions of people — including how warm, trustworthy, or familiar they seem — and the pleasantness of someone’s natural scent interacts with genetic factors that influence attraction in both men and women. Smell, in other words, is far more than a sensory detail; it’s a quiet but powerful form of human communication.

Most of us have experienced this firsthand. A single scent can trigger a vivid memory or transport us instantly to a moment, place, or feeling. Retailers understand this well. Nordstrom, for example, uses a signature in�’store fragrance that greets customers the moment they walk in — a scent so distinctive that many people can identify the store by smell alone. Scents anchor experiences.

I once heard a story about a couple returning from a trip. The wife immediately sensed a foul odor in their home; her husband smelled nothing and assumed she was imagining it. She persisted, and days later a repair technician discovered dead rodents in the ductwork. Her nose had been right all along.

Here are several key takeaways for parents, educators, and community members:

1. Pay attention to sensory overload — especially for girls: Because many girls have a more acute sense of smell, they may become overwhelmed in environments adults assume are neutral — classrooms with strong cleaning products, cafeterias, gyms, or crowded events. So, when someone says a smell is “too much,” take it seriously.
2. Don’t dismiss sensory complaints as “overreacting”: Girls and women often detect odors that boys and men genuinely cannot smell. Validate children’s sensory experiences rather than assuming they’re imagining things.
3. Recognize that boys may rely less on smell — and more on other cues: For many boys, scent simply plays a smaller role in how they interpret the world. Don’t expect boys to notice subtle scent cues. Use visual or verbal cues when communicating expectations or safety information.

We can use this knowledge to support well�’being, not stereotypes. The goal is not to label children or even adults but to understand them more fully. Gender�’based sensory insights are one tool among many that can help us support healthy development.

Understanding how boys and girls sense the world through smell gives us one more window into their lived experiences. When we recognize these differences with curiosity rather than judgment, we become better parents, teachers, and community members. By meeting children where they are — sensory strengths, sensitivities, and all — we create environments that honor their development and help them thrive.

Susan R. Madsen is a Professor of Organizational Leadership in the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University and the founding director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project.