PubHawk
December 2017 PMID 29270147

Is a High Tone Pointy? Speakers of Different Languages Match Mandarin Chinese Tones to Visual Shapes Differently.

Nan Shang, Suzy J Styles

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Mentions

5
Peak: 2 in Jul 2020
across 4 sources since Jul 2020

Extended reach

68,460
potential audience

Total likes

3,222

Video views

66,332

Mentions per month

Jul 2020 – Sep 2023

Where it's discussed

  • YouTube2 videos
  • X / Twitter1 posts
  • Bluesky1 posts
  • News1 articles

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The discussions reflect curiosity and some familiarity with related phenomena, such as references to Bouba and Kiki effects and their extensions to Mandarin tones, using phrases like 'cheeky to say so' and 'it would be great to see how kids go,' which convey a playful yet thoughtful tone and highlight the potential future directions spurred by the article's findings.

AgreementModerate agreement

The posts acknowledge prior research related to the article's topic, supporting its relevance, though they don't explicitly confirm or oppose its findings.

InterestModerate interest

The discussions show a moderate level of curiosity, referencing related studies and potential extensions, indicating a genuine interest in the subject.

EngagementModerate engagement

Comments suggest some reflection on the concepts like bouba/kiki effects and their application, demonstrating active mental engagement.

ImpactNeutral impact

The posts raise related research considerations but do not suggest a significant shift or critical impact stemming from this particular publication.

Abstract in brief

  • The study explores how people from different language backgrounds associate Mandarin Chinese tones with visual shapes, finding that these mappings differ based on linguistic experience.
  • Across all groups, a general crossmodal link was observed where high-pitched sounds tend to be matched with pointy shapes and low-pitched sounds with curvy shapes, aligning with previous research on pitch-shape associations.
  • However, native Mandarin speakers tend to associate steady high tones with curvy shapes and falling tones with pointy shapes, reflecting linguistic norms, while English speakers' mappings differ, indicating that language influences how we connect sounds to visual forms.
Read the full abstract

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Dr Suzy J Styles
@suzyjstyles · X

@AlanKSNielsen @DingemanseMark @BodoWinter @jonasnoelle @ian_joo_korea @DavidMSidhu @MarcusPerlman @anitaslonimska I mean, It’s cheeky to say so, but Shang & Styles (2017) is all about bouba/kiki effects for Mandarin Tones - we have mainland Mandarin speakers in the study already, but it’s be great to see how kids go with the same stimuli :) https://t.co/r30iK2zP1u

Sep 14, 2023 · 3 likes · 2,119 followers View post →
Guido
@gui.do · Bluesky

If you've ever seen my presentation on Persuasion E-commerce, you should already be familiar with Bouba and Kiki

Jul 28, 2020 View post →

All mentions

Why Do Some Words Sound Like Their Meaning?

Some words just sound like the thing they refer to. This video explores whether these associations are culturally learned or based on more fundamental perceptual links, highlighting how language influences sound-shape…

SciShow Psych · Jul 27, 2020 65,076 views
Dr Suzy J Styles
@suzyjstyles · X

@AlanKSNielsen @DingemanseMark @BodoWinter @jonasnoelle @ian_joo_korea @DavidMSidhu @MarcusPerlman @anitaslonimska I mean, It’s cheeky to say so, but Shang & Styles (2017) is all about bouba/kiki effects for Mandarin Tones - we have mainland Mandarin speakers in the study already, but it’s be great to see how kids go with the same stimuli :) https://t.co/r30iK2zP1u

Sep 14, 2023 · 3 likes · 2,119 followers View post →
Guido
@gui.do · Bluesky

If you've ever seen my presentation on Persuasion E-commerce, you should already be familiar with Bouba and Kiki

Jul 28, 2020 View post →
Cross-Modal Correspondences in Sine Wave: Speech Versus Non ...
News

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg. differently. Frontiers in Psychology, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/ 2018.00178 fpsyg.2017.02139. Atten Percept Psychophys (2020) ...

Dec 13, 2025 View →