The Novel Object and Unusual Name (NOUN) Database is maintained by Dr. Jessica Horst and Dr. Michael Hout. This database is a FREE tool for researchers to facilitate experimental research: when you need images of novel objects or unusual names. At the WORD Lab (and the Vision Sciences and Memory Lab), we believe it is important to have good experimental control, which can be difficult when studying word learning and categorization because children have so much out-of-lab experience with words and objects.
The Novel Object and Unusual Name (NOUN) Database:
A PDF copy of the NOUN Database Second Edition can be downloaded here: NOUN Database 2 in A4 format or US Letter format.
How to Cite the NOUN Database:
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Novel Objects
This part of the database includes photographs of objects that are not easily named by children (or adults). These photographs have been taken by Dr. Jessica Horst and the other members of the WORD Lab team.
You can download a folder with the individual images here. If you download the images, feel free to just send a quick note so we can keep you updated on any NOUN news. If you have any questions please email Dr. Jessica Horst at jessica@sussex.ac.uk or Dr. Michael Hout at mhout@nmsu.edu
If you would like to find these objects in real-life here is a list of what the NOUN objects really are.
Unusual Names
This part of the database is a collection of unusual names (AKA pseudowords and novel nouns) used in psychological research. This portion of the database is just a handy tool when an experimenter needs to choose words for a new study.