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Abstract
Since Köhler's experiments in the 1920s, researchers have demonstrated a correspondence
between words and shapes. Dubbed the "Bouba-Kiki" effect, these auditory-visual associations
extend across cultures and are thought to be universal. More recently the effect has
been shown in other modalities including taste, suggesting the effect is independent
of vision. The study presented here tested the "Bouba-Kiki" effect in the auditory-haptic
modalities, using 2D cut-outs and 3D models based on Köhler's original drawings. Presented
with shapes they could feel but not see, sighted participants showed a robust "Bouba-Kiki"
effect. However, in a sample of people with a range of visual impairments, from congenital
total blindness to partial sight, the effect was significantly less pronounced. The
findings suggest that, in the absence of a direct visual stimulus, visual imagery
plays a role in crossmodal integration.