The question of how we connect sounds to shapes may seem abstract, but it touches on fundamental aspects of human cognition. For decades, researchers have observed that people consistently associate the sound “bouba” with rounded forms and “kiki” with spiky ones – a phenomenon known as the bouba/kiki effect. Now, a surprising new study suggests this isn’t a uniquely human trait. Italian researchers have found that even newly hatched chickens exhibit the same preference, challenging previous assumptions about the origins of this intriguing perceptual link. This discovery about how animals think “bouba” sounds round opens new avenues for understanding the building blocks of language and perception.
The bouba/kiki effect was first noted in 1947, when researchers observed a consistent association between certain sounds and visual shapes. Since then, the effect has been extensively studied and documented, even earning its own Wikipedia entry. Initial theories proposed that the association stemmed from similarities to actual words – either in how they sound or how they’re spelled. However, these explanations were largely debunked when studies showed the effect persisted across different languages and writing systems, suggesting a more fundamental, universal cognitive process at play.
Beyond Humans: The Chicken Connection
The association between sound and shape has been observed in human infants as young as four months ancient, well before they develop language skills. This led scientists to believe the bouba/kiki effect might be a uniquely human ability, potentially linked to the development of complex language processing. However, attempts to replicate the effect in other primates proved unsuccessful, fueling speculation about its specific role in human evolution.
To investigate further, a team led by Maria Loconsole, Silvia Benavides-Varela, and Lucia Regolin at an unnamed institution in Italy, decided to broaden their search beyond primates. They turned to newly hatched chickens – specifically, chicks aged just one to three days old. As reported by Ars Technica, the researchers chose chickens since, unlike human infants, newly hatched chicks are immediately mobile and capable of interacting with their environment.
Why Chickens? A Unique Advantage
The choice of chickens wasn’t arbitrary. Researchers recognized that chicks, unlike four-month-old human infants, possess the motor skills to actively engage with visual stimuli. This allowed for a more direct assessment of their perceptual associations. The study, detailed in reports from February 2026, involved presenting the chicks with visual shapes alongside the sounds “bouba” and “kiki,” then observing their movements and preferences. The results mirrored those seen in humans: the chicks consistently oriented themselves towards rounded shapes when hearing “bouba” and spiky shapes when hearing “kiki.”
This finding suggests that the bouba/kiki effect isn’t tied to advanced cognitive abilities or language development. Instead, it appears to be a more basic perceptual mechanism, potentially rooted in the way our brains process auditory and visual information. The researchers hypothesize that the association may stem from the physical properties of the sounds themselves – the roundness of the “bouba” sound mirroring the curves of a rounded shape, and the sharpness of the “kiki” sound reflecting the angles of a spiky form.
Implications for Understanding Perception
The implications of this research extend beyond the realm of linguistics and psychology. Understanding the fundamental principles of perceptual association could shed light on how brains, across different species, make sense of the world around them. It too raises questions about the evolutionary origins of these mechanisms. If the bouba/kiki effect is present in both humans and chickens, it suggests that it may have evolved independently in different lineages, or that it’s a deeply conserved trait inherited from a common ancestor.
Further research is needed to fully unravel the neural basis of the bouba/kiki effect and its role in cognitive development. However, the study involving newly hatched chickens provides a compelling piece of the puzzle, demonstrating that this seemingly abstract perceptual phenomenon is far more widespread – and perhaps more fundamental – than previously thought. The team of Italian researchers is expected to publish a more detailed report of their methodology and findings in a peer-reviewed journal in the coming months.
As we continue to explore the intricacies of the brain, discoveries like this remind us that even the simplest creatures can offer profound insights into the workings of our own minds. The next step for researchers will be to investigate whether similar associations exist in other animal species, potentially revealing a universal principle of perceptual organization.
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