Sound Symbolism and the Perception of Shape and Implied Motion Open Access

Abstract

Sound Symbolism and the Perception of Shape and Implied Motion
By Kaitlyn R. Bankieris
Abstract

A growing body of sound symbolism research is beginning to challenge the classic
linguistic assumption that the pairing of word to referent is arbitrary. The present study
investigated this sound symbolism phenomenon during on-line processing and the extent
to which sound symbolism relies on inter-sensory cross-activations. A cross-modal
priming task was used, with foreign words meaning pointy, round, still, or moving as
auditory primes and pictures varying in shape (pointy or round) or implied motion (still
or moving) as targets. Participants classified pictorial targets (pointy or round, still or
moving) during trials presented across three conditions: 1) Match, in which the prime was
sound symbolic for the perceptual property of the pictorial target; 2) Mismatch, in which
the prime was sound symbolic for the perceptual property opposite of the pictorial target;
and 3) Control, in which the prime was not sound symbolic. The results showed that
symbolic (Match and Mismatch) trials facilitated processing in the motion domain, but
interfered with processing in the shape domain. The current results provide preliminary
evidence that non-arbitrary sound to meaning mappings in natural language may affect
on-line processing of pictures and may result from low-level cross-modal connections.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Introduction ……………………………………………………………………1

Methods
Participants………………………………………………………………………14
Stimuli…………………………………………………………………………....14
Procedure………………………………………………………………………..16

Results
Response accuracy………………………………………………………….18
Response time…………………………………………………………………19

Discussion………………………………………………………………………..21

References……………………………………………………………………….29

Appendix A: Primes…..…………………………………………...………34
Appendix B: Shape targets………………………………………………36
Appendix C: Implied motion targets……………………………….41

Table 1: Average proportion correct identification and

standard error for pictorial targets…….………………………....45
Table 2: Mean proportion correct and standard error as a

function of domain and congruency condition.……………….46
Table 3: Mean response time and standard error as a

function of domain and congruency condition....…………..47
Table 4: Mean response time and standard error as a

function of domain endpoint and sound symbolism

condition………..……...............................................…..48

Figure 1: Mean response time as a function of domain and

sound symbolism condition........................................49

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology
Degree	BS
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Biology, Neuroscience Language, Linguistics Psychology, Cognitive
Keyword	priming sound symbolism arbitariness cross-modal
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Nygaard, Lynne, Emory University
Committee Members	Rilling, James K, Emory University Namy, Laura, Emory University

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