Shape, Sensation Links

Juravle, Olari, and Spence report that “Rounded shapes, which have been shown to enhance sweetness, were compared to the perfectly symmetrical Platonic solids. . . . participants were presented with a rotating three-dimensional geometric shape (a sphere, the five Platonic solids, and three irregular angular/rounded/naturalistic controls), and indicated their liking for the shape, as well as its perceived hardness, and its expected temperature. The sphere was liked best, followed by the Platonic solids. The sphere was also evaluated as softest, and received the warmest temperature ratings. By contrast, the Platonic solids were rated as harder and significantly colder than the sphere. . . . A sweet and umami preference for rounded shapes was documented, with sour and bitter typically matched to angular shapes. Importantly, the Platonic solids were associated with several tastes.” The five Platonic solids evaluated were the tetrahedron, octahedron, icosahedron, cube/hexahedron, dodecahedron.

Georgiana Juravle, Emilia-Liliana Olari, and Charles Spence.  “A Taste for Beauty:  On the Expected Taste, Hardness, Texture, and Temperature of Geometric Shapes.”  i-Perception, in press, https://doi.org/10.1177/20416695221120948