Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the Cognitive Science Society

Recent research in affective computing has shown growing interest in how multisensory integration and metaphorical expression shape emotional experience. However, the specific role of non-linguistic sounds in shaping affective information processing remains underexamined. Here we engaged thirty participants in an adapted Thematic Apperception Test featuring affectively ambiguous black-and-white line drawings. We exposed them to 300 Hz or 800 Hz quasi-white noise while selecting a color for a central figure and an emotional interpretation for the scene. The 800 Hz sound elicited significantly more positive interpretations and warm color choices, whereas the 300 Hz sound elicited negative interpretations and cool color choices. These findings show that frequency-specific auditory cues act as affective signals biasing cross-modal meaning construction. Consistent with evolutionary accounts of frequency-based emotional coding, they support using non-linguistic sound as an implicit emotional prime, offering insights for art therapy and multisensory design.