Prof. Charles Spence, Oxford University highlight in his talk the existence of a variety of robust crossmodal correspondences between both sounds (phonetic speech sounds, tones, and other parameters of musical expression), and shapes and the sensory attributes (specifically the taste, flavour, aroma, and oral-somatosensory attributes) of various foods and beverages.

1. Crossmodal correspondences: Traditional Approach
Looking for links between
sound symbolism &
synaesthesia & their application
to sensory marketing
Charles Spence
Crossmodal Research Lab.
Department of Psychology
Oxford University
„…there is no animal in which there is
known to be a complete segregation of
sensory processing‟ (Stein et al., 1996)
Holt-Hansen Carlsberg‟s Elephant beer has
a frequency of 640-670 Hz
(1968) while, for regular Carlsberg, it
is 510-520 Hz
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2. Cross-cultural colour-flavour associations
Cheese & Salt &
Levitan, Shankar,
& Spence (2010)
onion vinegar
Cranberry Cherry Mint Raspberry
Strawberry
Piqueras-Fiszman & Spence (submitted)
Sapir (1929) the success of the Mini?
Mil, Mal, &
“Buba”
“Buba” “Kiki”
“Kiki”“Kiki” “Buba” Not to mention Lidl, Aldi, & Londis!
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3. “Maluma”
“Takete” “Maluma”
“Takete”?
Maluma
300
Lula
200
100
0
-100
Lime jam
Blueb jam
Salt+Vin.
Brie
Mint choc
mousse
Cranb
Reg Cr.
Reg yog
sauce
Cheddar
Reg choc
Cranberries
Strawb yog
Choc
Cr.
-200
-300
-400
Takete
“Maluma” “Takete” Ruki
Gallace, Boschin,
& Spence (2011)
What‟s in a name? Tasting shapes
„Frisch‟ or „Frosch‟ Richard
Cytowic
Klink (2000) Circle the shape above that best matches the
Spence (subm.) flavour of the food/drink you just tried.
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4. Still water
-3.74 1.85
Sparkling water
Spence & Gallace (2011)
3.51 1.94
Brie
Maluma Takete
-3.02 2.22
Cranberry juice
Maluma Takete
2.45 2.26
Malteser
Tuki -1.54 3.49
Lula
Tuki Caramel Nibble
Lula
2.69 2.73
“Sensation transference”
?
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5. Ben & Jerry‟s Ice Cream
99%
pleasure.
The rest is
the carton!
Ngo, Misra, & Spence (2011)
Sumptuously
smooth truffle
encased in
milk chocolate
Schifferstein (2001) Yeomans et al. (2008) Sound/shape symbolism
• Reliable crossmodal correspondences
between flavour & oral-somatosensory
attributes of food/drink (bitterness, acidity,
Figure showing & carbonation), & sharpness/angularity
disconfirmed
expectations • Might these correspondences emerge from
our innate oral responses to basic tastes?
• Findings have implications for product &
brand naming/packaging design (sensory
marketing), just don‟t call em synaesthetic!
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6. Crossmodal Correspondences?
“Taking a sip of wine, at least a wine
worth talking about, is like hearing
the sound of a sustained, musical
chord.” (Kent Bach, 2007, p. 27)
“Red wines need either minor
key or they need music that has
negative emotion. They don’t
like happy music…Cabernets
like angry music.” (Gray, 2007)
“As bitter as a trombone?” Methods: Choice of sounds
• 13 different notes (C2-C6)
Middle C
• 4 different types of instrument: piano, strings,
woodwinds, brass
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Note that tastes appear at extremes, while flavours appear in middle
low middle high
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Crisinel & Spence
(2010)
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Frequency
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5
3
1
caffeine coffee MSG salt orange rose almond vanilla lemon peppermint citric acid sucrose
flower
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7. Ngo, Piqueras-Fiszman,
R U WEIRD? & Spence (submitted)
Western,
Educated,
Industrialized,
Rich, &
Democratic
(Henrich et al., 2010, BBS)
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8. Are lemons
Prof. Charles Spence
Crossmodal Research Lab.
fast or slow?
Oxford University
http://www.psy.ox.ac.uk/xmodal/
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