Is an Auditory Event more Takete?

Recent experiments have demonstrated that the words Takete and Maluma, as well as Kiki and Bouba, once heard stimulate a cross-modal response in humans that goes beyond visual associations, and in particular affects the trajectory of human motion patterns. Inspired by such experiments, in a binary (Takete/Maluma) response test we presented to sixteen individuals a random sequence of either sonic or silent videos reproducing a smooth and a notched ball rolling down along a rounded or zig-zagged path. Bayesian estimation revealed a credible effect of the zig-zagged path in participants choosing Takete, and an equally strong effect of the notched ball. On the other hand, the silent videos had a negative effect on subjects’ probability of choosing Takete. This means that in absence of auditory feedback, subjects tend to choose Maluma compared to similar situations with sound. Though exploratory, such a result suggests that the auditory modality may have significantly biased the decision toward Takete when our participants were exposed to the audio-visual event. If supported by more extensive tests, this experiment would emphasize the importance of sound in the cognition of audio-visual events eliciting sense of sharpness in humans.