Study on the Semantics of Spatial Language - dataset

Building on a previous study to collect rich data on spatial prepositions, we have conducted a study to gather annotations related to spatial language in 3D virtual environments. The data collection environment is built using the Unity3D modelling software and game engine. The study comprised two tasks --- a Preposition Selection Task and a Comparative Task. The Preposition Selection Task allows for the collection of categorical data while the Comparative Task provides typicality judgements. In the Preposition Selection Task participants are shown a figure-ground pair (highlighted and with text description) and asked to select all prepositions in the list which fit the configuration. Users may select `None of the above' if they deem none of the prepositions to be appropriate. In the Comparative Task a description is given with a single preposition and ground object where the figure is left ambiguous. Participants are asked to select an object in the scene which best fits the description. Again, participants can select none if they deem none of the objects appropriate. In both tasks, participants are given a first person view of an indoor scene which they can navigate using the mouse and keyboard. To allow for easy selection, objects in the scene are indivisible entities e.g. a table in the scene can be selected but not a particular table leg. We limited both tasks to prepositions: `in', `inside', `on', `on top of', `against', `over', `above', `under' and `below'. The current dataset is from an online study where participants were recruited via internal mailing lists along with recruitment of friends and family. For the study 67 separate scenes were created in order to capture a variety of tabletop configurations. Each participant performed first the Preposition Selection Task on 10 randomly selected scenes and then the Comparative Task on 10 randomly selected scenes, which took participants roughly 10 minutes. Some scenes were removed towards the end of the study to make sure each scene was completed at least 3 times for each task. 32 native English speakers participated in the Preposition Selection Task providing 635 annotations, and 29 participated in the Comparative Task providing 1379 annotations. As the study was hosted online we first asked participants to show basic competence. This was assessed by showing participants two simple scenes with an unambiguous description of an object. Participants are asked to select the object which best fits the description in a similar way to the Comparative Task. If the participant makes an incorrect guess in either scene they are taken back to the start menu.

本研究基于一项已有的空间介词语料采集工作，针对3D虚拟环境中的空间语言标注展开了新一轮数据收集。本次数据采集所用的虚拟场景依托Unity3D建模软件与游戏引擎搭建完成。
本研究包含两项任务：介词选择任务（Preposition Selection Task）与对比判断任务（Comparative Task）。其中介词选择任务用于采集分类标注数据，对比判断任务则用于获取典型性评判结果。
在介词选择任务中，参与者将看到一组已高亮标注并附带文本描述的图形-背景对，并需从给定介词列表中选出所有适配该空间配置的介词。若参与者认为所有介词均不适用，则可选择"None of the above"（以上均不匹配）选项。
在对比判断任务中，任务将提供包含单个介词与背景物体的描述，但未明确指定图形对象。参与者需从场景内挑选最符合该描述的物体，若认为无合适物体则同样可选择「无匹配选项」。
两项任务均为第一人称视角的室内场景，参与者可通过鼠标与键盘操控场景漫游。为便于选择操作，场景内的物体均为不可拆分的实体，例如可选中整张桌子，但无法单独选中单条桌腿。
两项任务限定使用以下介词：in、inside、on、on top of、against、over、above、under 及 below。
本数据集源自一项线上研究，参与者通过内部邮件列表及亲友引荐两种方式招募。本次研究共搭建67个独立场景，以覆盖多样化的桌面空间配置。
每名参与者需先完成10个随机选取场景的介词选择任务，再完成10个随机选取场景的对比判断任务，整体耗时约10分钟。研究后期移除了部分场景，以确保每个场景在两项任务中均至少被完成3次。
共有32名以英语为母语的参与者完成了介词选择任务，累计提供635条标注；29名参与者完成了对比判断任务，累计提供1379条标注。
由于本研究为线上开展，首先需验证参与者的基础能力：向参与者展示两个场景简洁、物体描述明确的测试场景，要求参与者以类似对比判断任务的方式挑选最符合描述的物体。若参与者在任意一个测试场景中作答错误，则将其退回至起始菜单。