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Pushmi-Pullyu representations (PPRs), introduced by Ruth Garrett Millikan, are hybrid mental states that combine **descriptive** (mind-to-world) and **directive** (world-to-mind) functions in a single representation[1][2][5]. This duality mirrors the Bouba-Kiki effect, where humans systematically associate nonsense words like "Bouba" with rounded shapes and "Kiki" with spiky shapes[6][8]. These phenomena intersect in how symbolic forms (linguistic or visual) map to cognitive functions.

### Key Features of Pushmi-Pullyu Representations

1. ​ **Dual Content**:

- **Descriptive**: Represents facts (e.g., "There is nectar 800 meters northeast")[2][5].

- **Directive**: Compels action (e.g., "Fly northeast to gather nectar!")[2][5].

Unlike separate beliefs and desires, PPRs merge both functions, akin to animal signals (e.g., danger calls) or human performatives like "The meeting is adjourned"[5][7].

1. ​ **Evolutionary Simplicity**:

PPRs are evolutionarily primitive, enabling organisms to act without complex inference. For example, a hen’s food call both *describes* food location and *directs* chicks to eat[2][5].

### Bouba-Kiki as a Cognitive Analogy

The Bouba-Kiki effect reveals crossmodal associations between sensory inputs:

- **Kiki (spiky, pink)**: Sharp phonemes (/k/, /t/) and angular shapes evoke urgency or threat, aligning with the **directive** function’s imperative nature[6][8].

- **Bouba (rounded, blue)**: Soft phonemes (/b/, /m/) and smooth shapes suggest stability or observation, mirroring the **descriptive** function’s informational role[6][8].

This analogy highlights how sensory symbolism (e.g., sharpness → action, roundness → observation) might underpin the dual structure of PPRs. Just as "Kiki" primes a reactive response, directive content in PPRs compels behavior, while "Bouba"-like descriptives passively map reality[6][8].

### Implications for Cognition

- **Animal Communication**: Bees’ dances and chimpanzees’ vocalizations act as PPRs, blending environmental facts with survival directives[2][4].

- **Human Social Roles**: Internalized norms (e.g., "This is what one does") function as PPRs, merging social descriptions with behavioral directives[5].

The Bouba-Kiki effect and PPRs both demonstrate how cognitive systems exploit crossmodal mappings to streamline perception, communication, and action[6][7].

Sources

[1] [PDF] Pushmi-pullyu Representations Ruth Garrett Millikan University of ... https://philosophy.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/365/2014/02/Pushmi-Pullyu-Representations.pdf

[2] [PDF] Teleosemantics and Pushmi-Pullyu Representations - UB http://www.ub.edu/grc_logos/files/user140/1381849104-Pushmi-Pullyu%20(penultimate%20draft).pdf

[3] Pushmi-pullyu representations - Ruth Garrett Millikan - PhilPapers https://philpapers.org/rec/MILPR

[4] [PDF] Pushmi-pullyu Representations and Mindreading in Chimpanzees https://ojs.utlib.ee/index.php/spe/article/download/14478/9472/13448

[5] 9 Pushmi-pullyu Representations - Oxford Academic https://academic.oup.com/book/3896/chapter/145443100

[6] The Bouba-Kiki Effect and Task | Research - Labvanced https://www.labvanced.com/content/research/en/blog/2024-11-bouba-kiki-effect-task/

[7] Mental Representation - Open Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science https://oecs.mit.edu/pub/x0sk7df7

[8] The Bouba-Kiki Effect Is Real. So Is Language Still Arbitrary? https://everybodytalks.substack.com/p/the-bouba-kiki-effect-is-real-so