Research Symposium

BIO

Camila Catano-Caballero is a cell and molecular neuroscience major and a current freshmen working towards her Bachelor of Science. She aspires to go to law school to become a Patent Lawyer. She is particularly interested in the intersection of science, innovation, and intellectual property.

From BOUBA to KIKI: Cross-Linguistic Sound Symbolism

Abstract

This study investigates how linguistic background influences the semantic attribution of novel speech sounds by comparing how Spanish-English bilinguals and English monolinguals perceive pseudowords. We use a corpus of pseudowords that are categorized into neutral, sharp, and round phonetic groups and established a baseline of English-centric word associations using ChatGPT. The current phase of the project utilizes Qualtrics surveys to collect responses from human participants to determine if Spanish-English bilinguals attribute different meanings or emotional valences to these pseudowords compared to monolinguals. We specifically examine whether bilinguals associate these sounds with real words in their secondary language due to phonetic or morphological similarities, acting as interlingual homophones. By analyzing these cross-linguistic associations, the research aims to uncover how a secondary lexicon provides a unique filter for processing novel language and whether these associations override universal sound-symbolic patterns. 

Keywords: Neuroscience, AI, Chat Gtp