Dogs associate 'Bouba' with round shapes and 'Kiki' with spiky shapes

The Bouba/Kiki Effect in Canines

A new study led by animal behaviorist Eleonora Biffi at the University of Parma, Italy, indicates that dogs exhibit a similar phenomenon to the human 'Bouba/Kiki effect'. This effect describes the tendency for people to associate the sound 'Bouba' with rounded shapes and 'Kiki' with spiky shapes, despite the words being arbitrary.

The research, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, suggests that this cross-modal association between sounds and visual forms may extend beyond humans to domestic dogs.

Experimental Setup and Methodology

The study involved 70 domestic dogs participating in two experiments. In the first experiment, 51 dog/owner pairs were placed in a room with screens and speakers. The screens displayed rounded and spiky shapes, while the speakers played either 'Bouba' or 'Kiki'. An AI system recorded and analyzed the dogs' head movements to determine where they were looking.

The second experiment, with 19 different dogs, was identical except that owners wore headphones playing rock music to prevent them from influencing their dogs with cues.

Key Findings

The study found that dogs consistently looked more at the rounded shape when 'Bouba' was played and at the spiky shape when 'Kiki' was played. This indicates a statistically significant pattern beyond random chance.

A difference between the two experiments was noted: dogs in the first study showed a general bias towards spiky shapes, which disappeared when owners wore headphones in the second study, suggesting potential owner influence in the initial bias.

Implications for Cross-Modal Perception

The findings suggest that the ability to connect abstract auditory information with visual shapes might be a more widespread cognitive trait than previously understood, extending to other species. This research contributes to the understanding of cross-modal perception in animals and the underlying mechanisms of how different sensory inputs are integrated.