This presentation was done to showcase research concerned with utilizing the Microsoft Kinect to evaluate emotive states of students during arithmetic testing.

1. Utilizing Posture & Self-
Reported Emotive States to
Examine the Self-Validation
Theory
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2. Learning & Emotion Lab
• Focuses on uncovering the relationships between students;
learning and their emotional (i.e., affective states. The
research goals include refining psychological theory and
developing educational applications, such as emotionally
adaptive learning environments.
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3. Current Projects
Posture Analysis
• Determining students’ emotional states through
their postures.
Self-Report Assessment
• Determining students’ emotional states through
the Affect Map self-report instrument.
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4. Background
• Self-Validation Theory proposes that
posture has a significant affect on the self-
evaluation of ones’ emotions.
• “The results indicated that subjects who
were placed in a hunched, threatened
physical posture verbally reported self-
perceptions of greater stress than subjects
who were placed in a relaxed position.”
(Gotay & Riskind, 1982)
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5. Assessment Techniques
• Internal - Observations Reference Frame –
Self-reports – Affect Map
• External - Observations Reference Frame –
Behavioral Traces – Kinect Device
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6. 6
• Activation (Energy) Represented vertically, with higher levels of energy
toward the top and lower levels of energy toward the bottom
• Valence: (Pleasure) Represented horizontally, with “positive” feelings
(pleasant) toward the right and “negative” feelings (unpleasant) toward the
left
Affect Map
High Activation (+)
Low Activation
LowValence
HighValence(+)

7. Kinect Device
• Records participants head movement in distance from screen
• Y- Position refers to the distance above or below (vertically) the Kinect
- set at about shoulder level. Indictor of activation?
• Z - Position refers to the distance from the joint (horizontally) to the
Kinect - placed above the computer screen. Indicator of engagement?
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8. Kinect
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9. Procedure
• Algebra Problems:
• Difficulty Level 1 (Easy): X = 9 – 5 + 3
• Difficulty Level 2 (Medium): X = (9*6)/2 -
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• Difficulty Level 3 (Hard): 3X = (9-3)3 –
(7+2)2 – 21
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10. Open Sesame
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11. Results
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15. Thank you!
If you have any questions, please contact:
Dr. Roger S. Taylor|
roger.taylor@oswego.edu
Matthew C. Doyle|
mdoyle@oswego.edu
Or visit:
www.learningandemotionlab.org
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