Embedding Psycholinguistics: An Interactive Framework for Studying Language in Action

We introduce a method to study online language processes in human--robot interactive setup. In this interaction, language mediated eye movements can be studied as the dialogue unfolds between human and a robot. Traditionally, real-time linguistic processes are studied using visual world paradigms (VWP), where either the comprehension or the production tasks are implemented on screens for controlled investigations. Going beyond these traditional and unidirectional approach, we bring together production--comprehension loop with the help of a humanoid robot to preserve interactivity in an ecologically valid yet controlled setup. We discuss the potential of such setups for designing and evaluating findings from language--vision interplay in psycholinguistics. Our setup shows a potential to depart from traditional screen based experiments, balancing the dynamics of the interaction with control of the human behaviors.