Measuring instant emotions based on facial expression during computer-based assessment

Abstract Emotions are very important during learning and assessment procedures. However, measuring emotions is a very demanding task. Several tools have been developed and used for this purpose. In this paper, the efficiency of the FaceReader during a computer-based assessment (CBA) was evaluated. Instant measurements of the FaceReader were compared with the researchers' estimations regarding students' emotions. The observations took place in a properly designed room in real time. Statistical analysis showed that there are some differences between FaceReader's and researchers' estimations regarding Disgusted and Angry emotions. Results showed that FaceReader is capable of measuring emotions with an efficacy of over 87% during a CBA and that it could be successfully integrated into a computer-aided learning system for the purpose of emotion recognition. Moreover, this study provides useful results for the emotional states of students during CBA and learning procedures. This is actually the first time that student's instant emotions were measured during a CBA, based on their facial expressions. Results showed that most of the time students were experiencing Neutral, Angry, and Sad emotions. Furthermore, gender analysis highlights differences between genders' instant emotions

A Framework for Digital Emotions

As new media become more ubiquitous, our emotional experiences in digital space are increasing exponentially as well. While there is much talk of “affective” computing and “affective” new media art, a disconnect exists between networked emotions and the popular media that they inhabit. This research presents a theoretical framework for assessing “digital emotions”—a term that describes the feedback process between digital technologies and the body with respect to short, networked inscriptions of emotion and the (re)experience of those inscriptions within the body and through digital space. Digital emotions display five basic characteristics that can be applied to a variety of media environments: (1) They describe a process of feedback that link short, emotive inscriptions in digital environments to users and their (re)experiences of those inscriptions; (2) This feedback process includes, but is not limited to, the inscriber, the medium, and the receiver and the emotive experience fuels the initial connectivity and any further connectivity; (3) The emotional value varies depending on the media, the community of users, and the aesthetic experience of the digital emotion; (4) Digital emotions influence our emotional repertoire by normalizing our paradigm scenarios; and (5) They are highly malleable based on changes in technologies and their ability to both expand and contract emotional experiences in real time. The core characteristics of digital emotions are applied to three broad and overlapping categories: technology, community, and aesthetic experience. Each of these aspects of digital emotions work together, yet they exist along the massive spectrum of our online, emotional experiences—from our casual click of the “like” button to digital community artworks. Applied to digital spaces along this spectrum, digital emotions illuminate the feedback process that occurs between the media, the network, and the environment. The framework ultimately suggests that the process of digital emotions explicates emotions experiences that could only occur in digital space and are therefore unique to digital culture

Emotional recognition in computing

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University 8/4/2010.Emotions are fundamental to human lives and decision-making. Understanding and expression of emotional feeling between people forms an intricate web. This complex interactional phenomena, is a hot topic for research, as new techniques such as brain imaging give us insights about how emotions are tied to human functions. Communication of emotions is mixed with communication of other types of information (such as factual details) and emotions can be consciously or unconsciously displayed. Affective computer systems, using sensors for emotion recognition and able to make emotive responses are under development. The increased potential for emotional interaction with products and services, in many domains, is generating much interest. Emotionally enhanced systems have potential to improve human computer interaction and so to improve how systems are used and what they can deliver. They may also have adverse implications such as creating systems capable of emotional manipulation of users. Affective systems are in their infancy and lack human complexity and capability. This makes it difficult to assess whether human interaction with such systems will actually prove beneficial or desirable to users. By using experimental design, a Wizard of Oz methodology and a game that appeared to respond to the user’s emotional signals with human-like capability, I tested user experience and reactions to a system that appeared affective. To assess users’ behaviour, I developed a novel affective behaviour coding system called ‘affectemes’. I found significant gains in user satisfaction and performance when using an affective system. Those believing the system responded to emotional signals blinked more frequently. If the machine failed to respond to their emotional signals, they increased their efforts to convey emotion, which might be an attempt to ‘repair’ the interaction. This work highlights how very complex and difficult it is to design and evaluate affective systems. I identify many issues for future work, including the unconscious nature of emotions and how they are recognised and displayed with affective systems; issues about the power of emotionally interactive systems and their evaluation; and critical ethical issues. These are important considerations for future design of systems that use emotion recognition in computing.EPSRC project grant (R81374/01

Adventurers versus nit-pickers on affective computing

In reviewing the three articles presented by the MIT group on some aspects of affective computing I voice some of my concerns with the view that we can and should design computers to respond to our changing moods and whims, and my strong skepticism towards claims that such responsiveness should make us happier human beings in the long run. I first explain and justify my position, then briefly address the notion of affect, and finally, present some thoughts on trust

Examining the interplay between universal behavioural tendencies, online social networks and social capital

Interaction with others is fundamental to well-being, as it serves to fulfil our basic needs. Thus humans have various behavioural tendencies, patterns of behaviour that serve as strategies to fulfil these needs. Given the increasingly crucial role of online social networks on our communication and interaction, it is important to study these factors in the online context. In this thesis we explore how universal behavioural tendencies, i.e. behavioural tendencies that have been observed across cultures, affect our online interaction and how these in turn affect social capital. Focusing on disclosure behaviour and social network structure as proxies for online interaction behaviour, this work consists of three main components developed over four studies. Firstly, we attempt to understand how the tendency to reciprocate affects individuals’ willingness to disclose information about themselves. Secondly, we study the interplay between individuals’ disclosure patterns and their positions in the network. Finally, we study how individuals, along with their differences in universal behavioural tendencies, accrue social capital from the structure of their immediate networks. Key findings include: (1) People tend to reciprocate the disclosure of personal information, both when the initial disclosure is directed towards them, and also when it is broadcast and directed to nobody in particular, (2) The centrality of individuals in a social network is related to how much information they disclose, and how much others disclose to them, and (3) Online social network structure is related to social capital, and network structure and empathy play an interconnected role in the creation of social capital. The empirical findings, discussions and methodologies presented in this work will be useful for HCI and social science researchers studying the fundamental aspects of humans’ use of social technologies.A interação com os outros é essencial para o bem-estar, visto servir para satisfazer as nossas necessidades básicas. Portanto, os seres humanos têm várias tendências comportamentais, padrões de comportamento que servem como estratégias para satisfazer essas necessidades. Dada a importância crescente das redes sociais online na nossa comunicação e interação, é importante estudar estes fatores no contexto online. Na presente tese exploramos como as tendências comportamentais universais, i.e., as tendências comportamentais observadas em diferentes culturas afetam a nossa interação online e como estas, por sua vez, afetam o capital social. Concentrando-se na divulgação comportamental e na estrutura da rede social como representantes do comportamento interativo online, este trabalho apresenta três componentes principais desenvolvidas em 4 estudos. Primeiro, tentamos compreender de que forma a tendência para a reciprocidade afeta a vontade dos indivíduos de divulgarem informações sobre eles mesmos. Segundo, estudamos a interação entre os padrões de divulgação dos indivíduos e as suas posições na rede. Finalmente, estudamos de que forma os indivíduos, juntamente com as suas diferenças nas tendências comportamentais universais, acumulam capital social a partir da estrutura das suas redes imediatas. As principais conclusões incluem: (1) As pessoas retribuem a divulgação de informação pessoal não só quando esta é dirigida ao próprio, mas de igual forma se publicada num espaço publico acessível a qualquer pessoa, (2) A centralidade dos indivíduos numa rede social está relacionada com a quantidade de informações que divulga e que os outros lhes divulgam, e (3) A estrutura da rede social online está relacionada com o capital social, e a estrutura da rede e empatia desempenham um papel próximo na criação do capital social. Os resultados empíricos, discussões e metodologias apresentados neste trabalho serão úteis para os investigadores de HCI e ciências sociais que estudam os aspetos fundamentais da utilização humana das tecnologias sociais

Emotional recognition in computing

Emotions are fundamental to human lives and decision-making. Understanding and expression of emotional feeling between people forms an intricate web. This complex interactional phenomena, is a hot topic for research, as new techniques such as brain imaging give us insights about how emotions are tied to human functions. Communication of emotions is mixed with communication of other types of information (such as factual details) and emotions can be consciously or unconsciously displayed. Affective computer systems, using sensors for emotion recognition and able to make emotive responses are under development. The increased potential for emotional interaction with products and services, in many domains, is generating much interest. Emotionally enhanced systems have potential to improve human computer interaction and so to improve how systems are used and what they can deliver. They may also have adverse implications such as creating systems capable of emotional manipulation of users. Affective systems are in their infancy and lack human complexity and capability. This makes it difficult to assess whether human interaction with such systems will actually prove beneficial or desirable to users. By using experimental design, a Wizard of Oz methodology and a game that appeared to respond to the user's emotional signals with human-like capability, I tested user experience and reactions to a system that appeared affective. To assess users' behaviour, I developed a novel affective behaviour coding system called 'affectemes'. I found significant gains in user satisfaction and performance when using an affective system. Those believing the system responded to emotional signals blinked more frequently. If the machine failed to respond to their emotional signals, they increased their efforts to convey emotion, which might be an attempt to 'repair' the interaction. This work highlights how very complex and difficult it is to design and evaluate affective systems. I identify many issues for future work, including the unconscious nature of emotions and how they are recognised and displayed with affective systems; issues about the power of emotionally interactive systems and their evaluation; and critical ethical issues. These are important considerations for future design of systems that use emotion recognition in computing.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceEPSRC project grant (R81374/01)GBUnited Kingdo

SBE16 Brazil & Portugal - Sustainable Urban Communities towards a Nearly Zero Impact Built Environment

Vol. IThe organizers of SBE 16 Brazil & Portugal were challenged to promote discussions and the development of solutions for an important and, at the same time, very ambitious topic ? Sustainable Urban Communities towards a Nearly Zero Impact Built Environment. This is the main focus of the international conference SBE16 Brazil & Portugal; the only event of the SBE16/17 conference series being held in Latin America, more precisely, in Vitória (Espírito Santo), Brazil, from the 7th until the 9th of September 2016. The conference offered a unique opportunity to bring together researchers from all over the world to share evidence-based knowledge in the field and succeeded to achieve its goals since many contributions from various parts of the planet were received, addressing a tiny part of the problem or trying to perform the difficult task of making the sum of the parts a coherent whole.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

SBE16 Brazil & Portugal - Sustainable Urban Communities towards a Nearly Zero Impact Built Environment

Vol. IThe organizers of SBE 16 Brazil & Portugal were challenged to promote discussions and the development of solutions for an important and, at the same time, very ambitious topic ? Sustainable Urban Communities towards a Nearly Zero Impact Built Environment. This is the main focus of the international conference SBE16 Brazil & Portugal; the only event of the SBE16/17 conference series being held in Latin America, more precisely, in Vitória (Espírito Santo), Brazil, from the 7th until the 9th of September 2016. The conference offered a unique opportunity to bring together researchers from all over the world to share evidence-based knowledge in the field and succeeded to achieve its goals since many contributions from various parts of the planet were received, addressing a tiny part of the problem or trying to perform the difficult task of making the sum of the parts a coherent whole.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio