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Table 2 Summary of results of published studies showing crossmodal correspondences between colours and basic tastes

From: On tasty colours and colourful tastes? Assessing, explaining, and utilizing crossmodal correspondences between colours and basic tastes

Study

O’Mahony [35]

Heller [24]

Koch and Koch [28]

Tomasik-Krótki and Strojny [65]

Wan et al. [71]

Number of participants

51

≈2,000

45

519

452

Origin of participants

USA (CA)

Germany

USA (OR)

17 countries

4 countries

Type of participants

University students

Cross-section of the public

Students

High school and university students

Internet recruits

Black

(Bitter)

Bitter

(Bitter)

–

Bitter

Blue

 

Salty

 

Salty

 

Green

(Bitter)

Sour

Sour

Sour (bitter)

Sour

Orange

 

Sweet

Sweet

Sweet

 

Pink

–

Sweet

–

–

Sweet

Red

Sweet

Sweet

Sweet

Sweet

 

Violet

 

Bitter

 

Bitter/umami

–

White

Salty

Salty

Salty

–

Salty

Yellow

Sour

Sour

Sour

Sour

 

Brown

 

Bitter

 

–

 

Grey

 

Salty

–

–

 
  1. The participants in these studies were either given the names of one of the four or five basic tastes and had to pick a matching colour or else rate how well (or badly) the colour matched a given taste. The strongest crossmodal correspondences are shown, while weaker correspondences appear in brackets
  2. Note: Dashes denote the fact that this colour was not tested in this study. Note also that not all of the colour options are shown for every study