The colour of sound: enhancing pitch-colour cross-modal associations in virtual reality
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Full Text E-thesis
Date
2025-07-31
Authors
O'Toole, Patrick
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Publisher
University College Cork
Published Version
Abstract
This thesis investigates how Virtual Reality (VR) can enhance cross-modal associations between pitch and colour. While previous research has shown that people often associate higher pitches with brighter colours and lower pitches with darker ones, it remains unclear whether immersive VR environments can provide a more meaningful experience that could support, personalise, or strengthen these associations. The potential of VR is how key immersive features, such as multisensory integration, embodied interaction, spatial audio, and affective environments, may influence the formation of pitch-colour associations in a more engaging and meaningful way.
To address this, three mixed-methods studies were conducted, each progressing the understanding of pitch-colour cross-modality in VR. Study One tested whether cross-modal consistency scores differ between desktop and VR conditions. Study Two explored the role of immersive VR features, such as environment design, interaction, and spatial audio, in shaping users' engagement and experience of pitch-colour associations. Study Three evaluated whether personalised pitch-colour cross-modal mappings, created by participants, offered any potential learning benefits over pre-defined mappings in a music theory task.
Findings from across the studies indicate that VR is a viable platform for investigating pitch-colour associations, and that design elements such as multisensory integration, interactions, embodiment, and affective environment cues can support user engagement and perceptual clarity. While consistency scores did not differ significantly between environments in Study One, participants expressed a strong preference for VR, citing greater immersion and focus. Studies Two and Three highlighted the use of minimalistic and affective environments aided task engagement, and that participants benefited from interactive tasks that supported embodied cognition.
Taken together, the studies suggest that immersive VR environments, when designed with attention to cross-modal coherence, interactivity, and affect, can support a deeper understanding of pitch-colour associations. This has potential for application in learning contexts, such as the music theory training explored in Study Three. The findings have implications for the design of future VR tools in music education, multisensory learning, and accessible interface design, and also point towards further research into adaptive personalisation in virtual learning environments.
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Keywords
Audio , Visual , Human-computer interaction , Cross-modal associations , Synaesthesia , Virtual reality
Citation
O'Toole, P. 2025. The colour of sound: enhancing pitch-colour cross-modal associations in virtual reality. PhD Thesis, University College Cork.