David M. Sidhu
Assistant Professor
- PhD (University of Calgary)
- Email David M. Sidhu
- 613-520-2600 ext 1403
Biography
I was born in Toronto and completed my undergraduate degree at York University. I then moved to Calgary to do my graduate work at the University of Calgary. After that I held a SSHRC-funded postdoctoral position in London at University College London. I joined the psychology department at 杏吧原创 University in 2022.
Research Interests
Broadly speaking I am interested in language and cognition, in particular how we process words and represent meaning. I have always been fascinated by connections across modalities: how a sound can seem 鈥渂right鈥, how an image can convey something abstract. This led me to my research focus on the multimodality of language. For example, some words 鈥渟ound small鈥, or 鈥渇eel smooth鈥 as you say them. How do these multimodal properties affect language processing? Relatedly, some words imitate the things that they refer to (e.g., onomatopoeia like 鈥渟plash鈥 or 鈥渕eow鈥). Are these kinds of words processed differently? What does this mean for the development and evolution of language? I have also had a long interest in the fields of embodied cognition and conceptual metaphor theory.
Research Topics
language processing; sound symbolism; iconicity; embodied cognition
Key Representative Publications
Sidhu, D. M., Vigliocco, G., & Pexman, P. (2022). Higher order factors in sound symbolism. Journal of Memory and Language.
Sidhu, D. M., Westbury, C., Hollis, G., & Pexman, P. M. (2021). Sound symbolism shapes the English language: The maluma/takete effect in English nouns. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review.
Sidhu, D. M., Vigliocco, G., & Pexman, P. M. (2019). Effects of iconicity in lexical decision. Language and Cognition.
Sidhu, D. M., & Pexman, P. M. (2019). The sound symbolism of names. Current Directions in Psychological Science.
Muraki, E., Sidhu, D. M., & Pexman, P. M. (2019). Mapping semantic space: Property norms and semantic richness. Cognitive Processing.
Recent Publications
Sidhu, D. M., Wingate, T. G., Bourdage, J. S., & Pexman, P. M. (2025). Would you hire Liam over Kirk? Name sound symbolism and hiring. Acta Psychologica. doi: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104978
Sidhu, D. M. & Peetz, J. (2024). Sounds of the future and past. British Journal of Psychology. doi: 10.1111/bjop.12753
Sidhu, D. M. (2024). Sound symbolism in the lexicon: A review of iconic-systematicity. Language and Linguistics Compass.
Popular Science Articles
Wordle 鈥 the best word to start the game. The Conversation.
Judge me by my name do you? The symbolism behind Baby Yoda鈥檚 name. The Conversation.
What鈥檚 in a name? How the sound of names can bias hiring decisions. The Conversation.