Matching sounds to shapes: Evidence of the bouba-kiki effect in naïve baby chicks

• Science, Volume 391, Issue 6787, Page 836-839, February 2026.

Article Summaries:

• A recent study in Science demonstrates that naïve baby chicks exhibit the classic bouba‑kiki effect, linking rounded shapes to the soft “bouba” sound and spiky shapes to the sharp “kiki” sound. Researchers presented chicks with pairs of geometric figures and corresponding vocalizations, recording the animals’ visual preferences. Even without prior exposure, the chicks consistently chose the shape that matched the sound, indicating an innate cross‑modal association. The findings suggest that such perceptual mapping is not uniquely human but may have deep evolutionary roots, offering new insight into how animals integrate auditory and visual information from birth.

Sources:

• https://www.science.org/doi/abs/10.1126/science.adq7188?af=R