Academic Journal

Sharp Body, Sour Taste: Changing Taste Experiences Through Cross-Modal Correspondence With the Bouba/Kiki Self-Avatar in VR.

Λεπτομέρειες βιβλιογραφικής εγγραφής
Τίτλος: Sharp Body, Sour Taste: Changing Taste Experiences Through Cross-Modal Correspondence With the Bouba/Kiki Self-Avatar in VR.
Συγγραφείς: Koseki Y, Nakano K, Arikawa Y, Kuzuoka H, Narumi T
Πηγή: IEEE transactions on visualization and computer graphics [IEEE Trans Vis Comput Graph] 2026 Sep; Vol. 32 (9), pp. 7657-7671.
Τύπος έκδοσης: Journal Article
Γλώσσα: English
Στοιχεία περιοδικού: Publisher: IEEE Computer Society Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 9891704 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1941-0506 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 10772626 NLM ISO Abbreviation: IEEE Trans Vis Comput Graph Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Original Publication: New York, NY : IEEE Computer Society, c1995-
Ιατρικοί όροι (MeSH): Taste Perception*/physiology , Taste*/physiology , Virtual Reality* , Avatar* , Computer Graphics*, Humans ; Female ; Adult ; Male ; Young Adult
Περίληψη: Cross-modal correspondence, exemplified by the Bouba/Kiki effect, which refers to the association between linguistic sounds and visual shape impressions, is known to influence taste perception. Previous studies have shown that taste perception varies with the visual features of foods, beverages, and tableware. However, it remains unclear how embodying a self-avatar in virtual reality (VR) whose visual features are associated with Bouba/Kiki influences taste perception. We conducted two studies to investigate the effects of cross-modal correspondence between VR self-avatar characteristics and taste perception using lemon-flavored carbonated beverages that elicit both sweetness and sourness. Study 1 directly compared Bouba avatars (round shapes, red colors, slow animations) and Kiki avatars (angular shapes, yellow colors, fast animations) in a within-participants design ($N = 36$N=36). Study 2 examined the effects of each avatar type separately by comparing them with neutral control conditions ($N = 72$N=72). In Study 1, the Bouba avatar led participants to perceive the beverage as mellower compared to the Kiki avatar. However, this effect was not significant when compared with a neutral control avatar in Study 2. In contrast, the Kiki avatar produced robust effects, increasing perceived sourness and sharpness in both studies. These findings suggest that the observed changes in taste are primarily driven by the congruence between avatar characteristics and the intrinsic sensory properties of the beverage. This study demonstrates the potential for avatar-mediated congruence effects to alter perceived taste in VR, highlighting the importance of the alignment between the user's virtual body and the consumed stimulus.
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260602 Date Completed: 20260731 Latest Revision: 20260731
Update Code: 20260801
DOI: 10.1109/TVCG.2026.3699425
PMID: 42228651
Βάση Δεδομένων: MEDLINE
Περιγραφή
ISSN:1941-0506
DOI:10.1109/TVCG.2026.3699425