References: Monaghan P, Mattock K, Walker P. (2012) The Role of Sound Symbolism in Language Learning. Journal of ExperimentalPsychology 38:1152-1164. Cassidy K W, Kelly M H, Sharoni L J. (1990) Inferring Gender From Name Phonology. Journal of Experimental Psychology 128: 362-381.

CONCLUSIONS

METHODS

Can Human Beings Differentiate the Valence of Words from their Aesthetics?

Lana Baslan, Taylor Ezzi, Samantha Hartman, Jacob RusnakDepartment of Psychology, Duquesne University

PARTICIPANTS

INTRODUCTIONAre some words more beautiful than others?

Can the beauty of a word be separated from its meaning?

Valence: Meaning of a word, based solely on its definition.

Aesthetic: Beauty of a word, based on sound and appearance. (Disregarding Meaning)

RESULTS

2 Experiments240 words in each, random word assignments

Experiment 1: ValenceRate words on Meaning

Example:

A word that has a positive meaning…

Experiment 2: Aesthetics Rate words on Sound & Appearance

Example:

…can be judged to be relatively “ugly.”

16 Members of the Duquesne CommunityVarious Ages6 Male and 10 Female Subjects

CONCLUSIONThe results demonstrate that the meaning of a word and the beauty in its sound and appearance can be differentiated.

These results can be applied to everyday experiences with language.

These ratings are intended to be useful for future studies that investigate verbal aesthetics.