Subvocalization - Toward Hearing the Inner Thoughts of Developers

Abstract

Some of the most fascinating feats of cognition are never witnessed or heard by others, yet they occur daily in the minds of software developers practicing their craft. Researchers have desperately tried to glimpse inside, but with limited tools, the view into a developer's internal mental processes has been dim. One available tool, so far overlooked but widely used, has demonstrated the ability to measure the physiological correlates of cognition. When people perform complex tasks, sub-vocal utterances (electrical signals sent to the tongue, lips, or vocal cords) can be detected.  This phenomenon has long intrigued researchers, some likening sub-vocal signals to the conduits of our thoughts.  Recently, researchers have even been able to decode these signals into words. In this paper, we explore the feasibility of using this approach and report our early results and experiences in recording electromyogram (EMG) signals of software developers performing programming tasks. We believe, these techniques can shed light into the cognitive processes of developers and may even provide novel interactions in future programming environments.