The Microsoft KINECT: A Novel Tool for Psycholinguistic Research

Rinus G. Verdonschot¹, Héloïse Guillemaud², Hobitiana Rabenarivo², Katsuo Tamaoka³

¹Waseda Institute for Advanced Study, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan.
²Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.
³Graduate School of Languages and Cultures, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan.

DOI: 10.4236/ojml.2015.53026                

Abstract

The Microsoft KINECT is a 3D sensing device originally developed for the XBOX. The Microsoft KINECT opens up many exciting new opportunities for conducting experimental research on human behavior. We investigated some of these possibilities within the field of psycholinguistics (specifically: language production) by creating software, using C#, allowing for the KINECT to be used in a typical psycholinguistic experimental setting. The results of a naming experiment using this software confirmed that the KINECT was able to measure the effects of a robust psycholinguistic variable (word frequency) on naming latencies. However, although the current version of the software is able to measure psycholinguistic variables of interest, we also discuss several points where the software can still stand to be improved. The main aim of this paper is to make the software freely available for assessment and use by the psycholinguistic community and to illustrate the KINECT as a potentially valuable tool for investigating human behavior, especially in the field of psycholinguistics.

Keywords

Language Production, Psycholinguistics, KINECT, Psychological Research Tool

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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