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New Study Reveals Dogs May Connect Sounds With Shapes Like Humans
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Moneycontrol•15-10-2026, 17:21
New Study Reveals Dogs May Connect Sounds With Shapes Like Humans
- •A recent study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences suggests dogs experience a version of the Bouba-Kiki effect.
- •Researchers at the University of Parma led by Eleonora Biffi conducted two experiments involving 70 domestic dogs to test sound and shape associations.
- •Dogs tended to look at rounded shapes when hearing the word Bouba and explored spiky shapes when hearing Kiki.
- •The experiments tested sound symbolism and associations rather than actual language comprehension of invented words.
Key Questions Answered
The Bouba-Kiki effect is a psychological pattern where dogs associate the made-up word "Bouba" with rounded shapes and "Kiki" with angular, spiky shapes, demonstrating a possible sensitivity to sound symbolism.
Researchers conducted experiments involving 70 domestic dogs where animals watched screens displaying rounded and spiky shapes while speakers played the words "Bouba" and "Kiki", with artificial intelligence used to track their head movements.
No, the findings do not mean dogs understand the invented words "Bouba" and "Kiki"; instead, the experiment tested associations and pointed toward a potential sensitivity to how words sound rather than actual language comprehension.
