Matthijs Pontier

A computational model based on Gross' emotion regulation theory

Emotion regulation describes how a subject can use certain strategies to affect emotion response levels. Usually, models for emotion regulation assume mechanisms based on feedback loops that indicate how to change certain aspects of behavior or cognitive functioning in order to get a more satisfactory emotion response level. Adaptation of such feedback loops is usually left out of consideration. This paper introduces an adaptive computational model for emotion regulation by formalizing the model informally described by Gross (1998). The model has been constructed using a high-level modeling language, and integrates both quantitative aspects (such as levels of emotional response) and qualitative aspects (such as decisions to regulate ones emotion). This model includes mechanisms for adaptivity of the degree of flexibility of the emotion regulation process. Also, the effects of events like traumas or therapies on emotion regulation can be simulated. Based on this computational model, a number of simulation experiments have been performed and evaluated.

Coppélius' concoction: Similarity and complementarity among three affect-related agent models

In aiming for behavioral fidelity, artificial intelligence cannot and no longer ignores the formalization of human affect. Affect modeling plays a vital role in faithfully simulating human emotion and in emotionally-evocative technology that aims at being real. This paper offers a short expose about three models concerning the regulation and generation of affect: CoMERG, EMA and I-PEFiC^A^D^M, which each in their own right are successfully applied in the agent and robot domain. We argue that the three models partly overlap and where distinct, they complement one another. To enable their integration, we provide an analysis of the theoretical concepts, resulting in a more precise representation of affect simulation in virtual humans, which we verify with simulation tests.

A Virtual Therapist That Responds Empathically to Your Answers

Previous research indicates that self-help therapy is an effective method to prevent and treat unipolar depression. While web-based self-help therapy has many advantages, there are also disadvantages to self-help therapy, such as that it misses the possibility to regard the body language of the user, and the lack of personal feedback on the user responses. This study presents a virtual agent that guides the user through the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) questionnaire, which is used to measure the severity of depression. The agent responds empathically to the answers given by the user, by changing its facial expression. This resembles face to face therapy more than existing web-based self-help therapies. A pilot experiment indicates that the virtual agent has added value for this application.

Comparing three computational models of affect

In aiming for behavioral fidelity, artificial intelligence cannot and no longer ignores the formalization of human affect. Affect modeling plays a vital role in faithfully simulating human emotion and in emotionally-evocative technology that aims at being real. This paper offers a short expose about three models concerning the generation and regulation of affect: CoMERG, EMA and I-PEFiCADM, which each in their own right are successfully applied in the agent and robot domain. We argue that the three models partly overlap and where distinct, they complement one another. We provide an analysis of the theoretical concepts, and provide a blueprint of an integration, which should result in a more precise representation of affect simulation in virtual humans.

Moral Coppélia - Combining ratio with affect in ethical reasoning

We present an integration of rational moral reasoning with emotional intelligence. The moral reasoning system alone could not simulate the different human reactions to the Trolley dilemma and the Footbridge dilemma. However, the combined system can simulate these human moral decision making processes. The introduction of affect in rational ethics is important when robots communicate with humans in a practical context that includes moral relations and decisions. Moreover, the combination of ratio and affect may be useful for applications in which human moral decision making behavior is simulated, for example, when agent systems or robots provide healthcare support.

Silicon Coppélia: Integrating Three Affect-Related Models for Establishing Richer Agent Interaction

Affect modeling plays a vital role in faithfully simulating human emotion and in emotionally evocative technology. Current affect models are still strong simplifications compared to human affective complexity. To establish richer agent interaction, we integrated three affect-related models: CoMERG, IPEFiC ADM and EMA. These models partly overlap, and where distinct, they complement one another. The integrated model called Silicon Coppélia was implemented and simulation experiments were performed to test the behavior of the model. These experiments show that the model can simulate richer agent behaviors than any of the models could have done alone.

Speed dating with an affective virtual agent: developing a testbed for emotion models

In earlier studies, user involvement with an embodied software agent and willingness to use that agent were partially determined by the aesthetics of the design and the moral fiber of the character. We used these empirical results to model agents that in their turn would build up affect for their users much the same way as humans do for agents. Through simulations, we tested these models for internal consistency and were successful in establishing the relationships among the factors as suggested by the earlier user studies. This paper reports on the first confrontation of our agent system with real users to check whether users recognize that our agents function in similar ways as humans do. Through a structured questionnaire, users informed us whether our agents evaluated the users aesthetics and moral stance while building up a level of involvement with the user and a degree of willingness to interact with the user again.

When the User Is Instrumental to Robot Goals: First Try - Agent Uses Agent

To create a robot with a mind of its own, we extended a formalized version of a model that explains affect-driven interaction with mechanisms for goal-directed behavior. We ran simulation experiments with intelligent software agents and found that agents preferred affect-driven decision options to rational decision options in situations where choices for low expected utility are irrational. This behavior counters current models in decision making, which generally have a hedonic bias and always select the option with the highest expected utility.

Machine Medical Ethics

The essays in this book, written by researchers from both humanities and science, describe various theoretical and experimental approaches to adding medical ethics to a machine, what design features are necessary in order to achieve this, philosophical and practical questions concerning justice, rights, decision-making and responsibility in medical contexts, and accurately modeling essential physician-machine-patient relationships. In medical settings, machines are in close proximity with human beings: with patients who are in vulnerable states of health, who have disabilities of various kinds, with the very young or very old and with medical professionals. Machines in these contexts are undertaking important medical tasks that require emotional sensitivity, knowledge of medical codes, human dignity and privacy. As machine technology advances, ethical concerns become more urgent: should medical machines be programmed to follow a code of medical ethics? What theory or theories should constrain medical machine conduct? What design features are required? Should machines share responsibility with humans for the ethical consequences of medical actions? How ought clinical relationships involving machines to be modeled? Is a capacity for empathy and emotion detection necessary? What about consciousness? This collection is the first book that addresses these 21st-century concerns.

A Computational Model for Adaptive Emotion Regulation

Emotion regulation describes how a subject can use certain strategies to affect emotion response levels. Usually, models for emotion regulation assume mechanisms based on feedback loops that indicate how to change certain aspects of behaviour or cognitive functioning in order to get a more satisfactory emotion response level. Adaptation of such feedback loops is usually left out of consideration. In this paper, a model for adaptivity of emotion regulation is introduced. This model includes mechanisms for adaptivity of the degree of flexibility of the emotion regulation process. Based on this computational model, a number of simulation experiments have been performed and evaluated.