linguistic test

[electricbath]

I heard this from some linguistic audiobook. Follow the directions.

#1. Imagine there are 2 paintings side by side
#2. One painting is named Bobo, and the other painting is named Keke
#3, The first painting depicts numerous sharp lines or zig zags
#4. The second painting depicts numerous circles

Which name would you pair with which painting?

Interestingly, around 98 percent of the world population chose to pair bobo with the painting depicting circles and keke to the painting depicting lines.

[bkadoctaj]

Originally Posted by electricbath

I heard this from some linguistic audiobook. Follow the directions.

#1. Imagine there are 2 paintings side by side
#2. One painting is named Bobo, and the other painting is named Keke
#3, The first painting depicts numerous sharp lines or zig zags
#4. The second painting depicts numerous circles

Which name would you pair with which painting?

Interestingly, around 98 percent of the world population chose to pair bobo with the painting depicting circles and keke to the painting depicting lines.

Does it have something to do with how the mouth is shaped to pronounce it?

[pavlakos]

yeah, i guess i could see how people would pick bobo for the circles...interesting.

[electricbath]

Originally Posted by bkadoctaj

Does it have something to do with how the mouth is shaped to pronounce it?

Yes m8. If i remember correctly, it had to do with the first humans pairing up a sound with a particular idea. One would assume that the sounds or words would have a random pairing with an idea, but the study almost points to an eerie innate property about language.