The Kiki-Bouba effect, also known as the Bouba/Kiki phenomenon, refers to the tendency of people to associate certain shapes with particular sounds or speech sounds. The effect was first observed and named by the German-American psychologist Wolfgang Köhler in the 1920s.
In the original experiment, Köhler presented participants with two shapes, one jagged and angular (which he called “Kiki”) and the other rounded and curvy (which he called “Bouba”). He then asked participants to match the shapes with two made-up words, “Kiki” and “Bouba.” Overwhelmingly, participants associated the jagged shape with the word “Kiki” and the rounded shape with the word “Bouba.”
The Kiki-Bouba effect suggests that there is a natural, cross-modal association between visual and auditory stimuli. It highlights the tendency of people to attribute certain sensory qualities to abstract shapes based on their inherent features. The effect is often cited as evidence of the presence of a universal cross-modal perception or synesthesia.
While the exact underlying mechanisms behind the Kiki-Bouba effect are still a subject of research, it is believed to be influenced by a combination of factors, including the inherent visual and acoustic properties of the shapes, the natural tendencies of sound symbolism, and the interactions between different sensory areas in the brain.
The Kiki-Bouba effect has been replicated and extended in various studies and has found applications in various fields, including marketing, design, and linguistics. It demonstrates the intriguing ways in which our perception of shapes and sounds can interact and influence each other.