Newly hatched chickens form the same sound association we do

In a fascinating revelation, researchers have discovered that even newly hatched chicks demonstrate a sound association similar to that of humans. The study focuses on the nonsensical words "bouba" and "maluma," which are commonly linked by people to rounded and spiky shapes, respectively. This phenomenon has been recognized for decades and is known as the bouba/kiki effect. The origins of this effect trace back to 1947, when it was first noted that people tend to associate certain sounds with specific shapes. Over the years, various theories have emerged to explain this tendency, most of which have been disproven. Initial hypotheses suggested that familiarity with actual words might be responsible; however, research involving speakers from diverse linguistic backgrounds indicated that this is likely a universal human trait. Interestingly, infants as young as four months have also shown signs of this association, indicating it may emerge before the development of language skills. Despite extensive research, attempts to identify this sound-shape association in other primates have been unsuccessful, leading some to speculate that it might be a cognitive ability unique to humans. However, a team of Italian scientists—Maria Loconsole, Silvia Benavides-Varela, and Lucia Regolin—expanded this inquiry beyond primates, focusing on day-old chickens. These chicks, unlike human infants, are fully capable of exploring their environment, which provides a unique advantage for studying their sound associations. Their findings add a new layer of understanding to the cognitive abilities shared across species.