Introducing dynamism in emotional agent societies

[EN] This paper presents the development of a dynamic emotional model to be employed in agent societies. The proposed model is based on the PAD emotional model and allows the representation of the emotional contagion phenomena of a heterogeneous group of agents that are capable of express emotions. The model is mainly based on three elements: personality, empathy and affinity. These elements allow the characterisation of each individual, causing them susceptible to vary in some degree the emotions of other individuals. Additionally, the model allows defining of the social emotion of this group of agents. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.This work is partially supported by the MINECO/FEDER TIN2015-65515-C4-1-R and the FPI grant AP2013-01276 awarded to Jaime-Andres Rincon. This work is supported by COMPETE: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007043 and FCT - Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia within the projects UID/CEC/00319/2013 and Post-Doc scholarship SFRH/BPD/102696/2014 (A. Costa).Rincon, J.; Costa, A.; Villarrubia, G.; Julian Inglada, VJ.; Carrascosa Casamayor, C. (2018). Introducing dynamism in emotional agent societies. Neurocomputing. 272:27-39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neucom.2017.03.091S273927

Social Emotions in Multiagent Systems

Tesis por compendioA lo largo de los últimos años, los sistemas multi-agente (SMA) han demostrado ser un paradigma potente y versátil, con un gran potencial a la hora de resolver problemas complejos en entornos dinámicos y distribuidos. Este potencial no se debe principalmente a sus características individuales (como son su autonomía, su capacidad de percepción, reacción y de razonamiento), sino que también a la capacidad de comunicación y cooperación a la hora de conseguir un objetivo. De hecho, su capacidad social es la que más llama la atención, es este comportamiento social el que dota de potencial a los sistemas multi-agente. Estas características han hecho de los SMA, la herramienta de inteligencia artificial (IA) más utilizada para el diseño de entornos virtuales inteligentes (IVE), los cuales son herramientas de simulación compleja basadas en agentes. Sin embargo, los IVE incorporan restricciones físicas (como gravedad, fuerzas, rozamientos, etc.), así como una representación 3D de lo que se quiere simular. Así mismo, estas herramientas no son sólo utilizadas para la realización de simulaciones. Con la aparición de nuevas aplicaciones como \emph{Internet of Things (IoT)}, \emph{Ambient Intelligence (AmI)}, robot asistentes, entre otras, las cuales están en contacto directo con el ser humano. Este contacto plantea nuevos retos a la hora de interactuar con estas aplicaciones. Una nueva forma de interacción que ha despertado un especial interés, es el que se relaciona con la detección y/o simulación de estados emocionales. Esto ha permitido que estas aplicaciones no sólo puedan detectar nuestros estados emocionales, sino que puedan simular y expresar sus propias emociones mejorando así la experiencia del usuario con dichas aplicaciones. Con el fin de mejorar la experiencia humano-máquina, esta tesis plantea como objetivo principal la creación de modelos emocionales sociales, los cuales podrán ser utilizados en aplicaciones MAS permitiendo a los agentes interpretar y/o emular diferentes estados emocionales y, además, emular fenómenos de contagio emocional. Estos modelos permitirán realizar simulaciones complejas basadas en emociones y aplicaciones más realistas en dominios como IoT, AIm, SH.Over the past few years, multi-agent systems (SMA) have proven to be a powerful and versatile paradigm, with great potential for solving complex problems in dynamic and distributed environments. This potential is not primarily due to their individual characteristics (such as their autonomy, their capacity for perception, reaction and reasoning), but also the ability to communicate and cooperate in achieving a goal. In fact, its social capacity is the one that draws the most attention, it is this social behavior that gives potential to multi-agent systems. These characteristics have made the SMA, the artificial intelligence (AI) tool most used for the design of intelligent virtual environments (IVE), which are complex agent-based simulation tools. However, IVE incorporates physical constraints (such as gravity, forces, friction, etc.), as well as a 3D representation of what you want to simulate. Also, these tools are not only used for simulations. With the emergence of new applications such as \emph {Internet of Things (IoT)}, \emph {Ambient Intelligence (AmI)}, robot assistants, among others, which are in direct contact with humans. This contact poses new challenges when it comes to interacting with these applications. A new form of interaction that has aroused a special interest is that which is related to the detection and / or simulation of emotional states. This has allowed these applications not only to detect our emotional states, but also to simulate and express their own emotions, thus improving the user experience with those applications. In order to improve the human-machine experience, this thesis aims to create social emotional models, which can be used in MAS applications, allowing agents to interpret and / or emulate different emotional states, and emulate phenomena of emotional contagion. These models will allow complex simulations based on emotions and more realistic applications in domains like IoT, AIm, SH.Al llarg dels últims anys, els sistemes multi-agent (SMA) han demostrat ser un paradigma potent i versàtil, amb un gran potencial a l'hora de resoldre problemes complexos en entorns dinàmics i distribuïts. Aquest potencial no es deu principalment a les seues característiques individuals (com són la seua autonomia, la seua capacitat de percepció, reacció i de raonament), sinó que també a la capacitat de comunicació i cooperació a l'hora d'aconseguir un objectiu. De fet, la seua capacitat social és la que més crida l'atenció, és aquest comportament social el que dota de potencial als sistemes multi-agent. Aquestes característiques han fet dels SMA, l'eina d'intel·ligència artificial (IA) més utilitzada per al disseny d'entorns virtuals intel·ligents (IVE), els quals són eines de simulació complexa basades en agents. No obstant això, els IVE incorporen restriccions físiques (com gravetat, forces, fregaments, etc.), així com una representació 3D del que es vol simular. Així mateix, aquestes eines no són només utilitzades per a la realització de simulacions. Amb l'aparició de noves aplicacions com \emph{Internet of Things (IOT)}, \emph{Ambient Intelligence (AmI)}, robot assistents, entre altres, les quals estan en contacte directe amb l'ésser humà. Aquest contacte planteja nous reptes a l'hora d'interactuar amb aquestes aplicacions. Una nova forma d'interacció que ha despertat un especial interès, és el que es relaciona amb la detecció i/o simulació d'estats emocionals. Això ha permès que aquestes aplicacions no només puguen detectar els nostres estats emocionals, sinó que puguen simular i expressar les seues pròpies emocions millorant així l'experiència de l'usuari amb aquestes aplicacions. Per tal de millorar l'experiència humà-màquina, aquesta tesi planteja com a objectiu principal la creació de models emocionals socials, els quals podran ser utilitzats en aplicacions MAS permetent als agents interpretar i/o emular diferents estats emocionals i, a més, emular fenòmens de contagi emocional. Aquests models permetran realitzar simulacions complexes basades en emocions i aplicacions més realistes en dominis com IoT, AIM, SH.Rincón Arango, JA. (2018). Social Emotions in Multiagent Systems [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/98090TESISCompendi

AN INSTITUTIONAL ECONOMIC APPRAISAL OF WORKER EQUITY SCHEMES IN AGRICULTURE:

The institutional economic appraisal conducted in this paper confirms that equity schemes are subject to institutional incompleteness as proposed in ICT. The incompleteness stem from the lack of verifiability related to social capital, embeddedness, governance and micro performance. In addition, they lack the requisite ex ante incentives to enable ex post adaptation, counterveilance over opportunism, and the distribution of residual claims and control. The first reason for incompleteness emanate from the motivations of the initiators, which is opportunism by landowners to secure their assets in the face of uncertainty and/or enhance their returns in the marketplace. The lack of worker effort and options in the early stages raises credible commitment questions. Examining the governance aspects of equity schemes reveal that they are consistent with modern trends to separate ownership and control. However, a key concern is the asymmetry in human capital and subsequently in power, residual control, gratification, and ultimately economic empowerment. The analysis is aimed at identifying the incentives and innovations required to make equity schemes, as a type of shareholder contract, more complete and credible in an empowerment context. Recommendations towards institutional innovation are offered.Labor and Human Capital,

Beyond consumerism: new historical perspectives on consumption

If there is one agreement between theorists of modernity and those of post-modernity, it is about the centrality of consumption to modern capitalism and contemporary culture. To thinkers as different as Werner Sombart, Emile Durkheim and Thorstein Veblen at the turn of the twentieth century, consumption was a decisive force behind modern capitalism, its dynamism and social structure. More recently, Anthony Giddens has presented consumerism as simultaneous cause and therapeutic response to the crisis of identities emanating from the pluralization of communities, values and knowledge in ‘post-traditional society’. Post-modernists like Baudrillard have approached consumption as the semiotic code constituting post-modernity itself: ultimately, signs are consumed, not objects. Such has been the recent revival of theoretical interest in consumption that the historian might feel acutely embarrassed by the abundance of choice and the semiotic and, indeed, political implications of any particular approach. Which theory is most appropriate for the historical study of ‘consumer society’? What is being consumed, by whom, why, and with what consequence differs fundamentally in these writings: should we study objects, signs or experiences, focus on the drive to emulate others or to differentiate oneself, analyse acquisitive mentalities or ironic performances, condemn resulting conformity or celebrate subversion? The aim of this article is to outline some of the questions that may help structure such a debate. Should we think in terms of a linear expansion of western consumerism ending in global convergence? What was the underlying dynamic of this expansion and where should we locate its modernity? What was the place of consumption in social and political relations, and what do these connections (and disconnections) tell us about the nature of ‘consumer society’? More broadly, what are the meanings of consumption and what should historians include or exclude? ‘Consumerism’ and ‘modern consumer society’, it will be argued, are concepts with diminishing analytical and conceptual usefulness that have privileged a particular western version of modern consumption at the expense of the multi-faceted and often contradictory workings of consumption in the past and are increasingly at odds with the current debate about the cultures and politics of consumption

Context-aware emotion-based model for group decision making

Involving groups in important management processes such as decision making has several advantages. By discussing and combining ideas, counter ideas, critical opinions, identified constraints, and alternatives, a group of individuals can test potentially better solutions, sometimes in the form of new products, services, and plans. In the past few decades, operations research, AI, and computer science have had tremendous success creating software systems that can achieve optimal solutions, even for complex problems. The only drawback is that people don’t always agree with these solutions. Sometimes this dissatisfaction is due to an incorrect parameterization of the problem. Nevertheless, the reasons people don’t like a solution might not be quantifiable, because those reasons are often based on aspects such as emotion, mood, and personality. At the same time, monolithic individual decisionsupport systems centered on optimizing solutions are being replaced by collaborative systems and group decision-support systems (GDSSs) that focus more on establishing connections between people in organizations. These systems follow a kind of social paradigm. Combining both optimization- and socialcentered approaches is a topic of current research. However, even if such a hybrid approach can be developed, it will still miss an essential point: the emotional nature of group participants in decision-making tasks. We’ve developed a context-aware emotion based model to design intelligent agents for group decision-making processes. To evaluate this model, we’ve incorporated it in an agent-based simulator called ABS4GD (Agent-Based Simulation for Group Decision), which we developed. This multiagent simulator considers emotion- and argument based factors while supporting group decision-making processes. Experiments show that agents endowed with emotional awareness achieve agreements more quickly than those without such awareness. Hence, participant agents that integrate emotional factors in their judgments can be more successful because, in exchanging arguments with other agents, they consider the emotional nature of group decision making

Beyond meaning: Peirce’s interpretant as a meta-semiotic condition for communication

In Bergsonism, we come to a halt when it comes to communication because it involves static immobile elements such as concepts and words, which, for Bergson, make it impossible to gain an adequate understanding of each other’s nature. Peirce offers an epistemological model, where the immobility of a linguistic sign is dissolved in semiosis. Peirce’s concept of interpretant, reflecting the dynamic relation of the subject, object and the sign that is being interpreted, offers a model of cognition that is based on the dynamism of meaning making, which provides a foundation for communication as a meaning making process, a case of duration in its own right

Architecture Supporting Computational Trust Formation

Trust is a concept that has been used in computing to support better decision making. For example, trust can be used in access control. Trust can also be used to support service selection. Although certain elements of trust such as reputation has gained widespread acceptance, a general model of trust has so far not seen widespread usage. This is due to the challenges of implementing a general trust model. In this thesis, a middleware based approach is proposed to address the implementation challenges. The thesis proposes a general trust model known as computational trust. Computational trust is based on research in social psychology. An individual’s computational trust is formed with the support of the proposed computational trust architecture. The architecture consists of a middleware and middleware clients. The middleware can be viewed as a representation of the individual that shares its knowledge with all the middleware clients. Each application uses its own middleware client to form computational trust for its decision making needs. Computational trust formation can be adapted to changing circumstances. The thesis also proposed algorithms for computational trust formation. Experiments, evaluations and scenarios are also presented to demonstrate the feasibility of the middleware based approach to computational trust formation

Ambiguity of Social Networks in Post-Communist Contexts

The paper discusses three hypotheses. First, it introduces four ideal types of networks which are combined in the category of networks as used by social scientists. Four types result from the intersection of two implicit choices made about networks – networks are assumed to be either personal or impersonal, and are viewed either internally or externally. Thus, networks are understood in terms of sociability, access to resources, enabling structure, or social capital. Second, I argue that networks function in a fundamentally ambiguous way. They operate in their capacity of a safety net or survival kit, provide a ‘beating the system’ capacity or compensate for the system’s defects. At the same time networks provide constraints such as high costs of informal contract, limits on individual action, lock-in effects and the handicaps of social capital. Third, I illustrate differences between networks serving the economy of favors in Russia and networks serving the purposes of ‘network society.

A Multi-Disciplinary Approach For Determining Adoption Of Agricultural Price Risk Management Strategies

Australian wool producers have been slow to adopt price risk management strategies to stabilise the income from their wool sales. The highly volatile auction system accounts for 85% of raw wool sales while the remainder is sold by forward contract, futures and other hedging methods. Qualitative analysis was used to find behavioural factors associated with the adoption of price risk management strategies (specifically futures and forward contracts) for selling raw wool. Consideration was given to Diffusion of Innovations and the Theory of Planned Behaviour as theoretical frameworks in order to answer the research question: Are there any non-traditional behavioural factors that need to be incorporated into existing frameworks to determine adoption of price risk management strategies for selling raw wool? In contrast to these prominent theories, data from four focus groups conducted with wool producers in regional Western Australia showed that trust, habit and social cohesion were the major behavioural determinants that governed the adoption of price risk management strategies. The significance of this paper lies in its multi-disciplinary approach to understanding the dimensions of farm-level decision making.Qualitative analysis, trust, habit, social cohesion, forward contracts, wool., Agricultural Finance, Risk and Uncertainty,

Establishing norms with metanorms in distributed computational systems

Norms provide a valuable mechanism for establishing coherent cooperative behaviour in decentralised systems in which there is no central authority. One of the most influential formulations of norm emergence was proposed by Axelrod (Am Political Sci Rev 80(4):1095–1111, 1986). This paper provides an empirical analysis of aspects of Axelrod’s approach, by exploring some of the key assumptions made in previous evaluations of the model. We explore the dynamics of norm emergence and the occurrence of norm collapse when applying the model over extended durations . It is this phenomenon of norm collapse that can motivate the emergence of a central authority to enforce laws and so preserve the norms, rather than relying on individuals to punish defection. Our findings identify characteristics that significantly influence norm establishment using Axelrod’s formulation, but are likely to be of importance for norm establishment more generally. Moreover, Axelrod’s model suffers from significant limitations in assuming that private strategies of individuals are available to others, and that agents are omniscient in being aware of all norm violations and punishments. Because this is an unreasonable expectation , the approach does not lend itself to modelling real-world systems such as online networks or electronic markets. In response, the paper proposes alternatives to Axelrod’s model, by replacing the evolutionary approach, enabling agents to learn, and by restricting the metapunishment of agents to cases where the original defection is observed, in order to be able to apply the model to real-world domains . This work can also help explain the formation of a “social contract” to legitimate enforcement by a central authority