Platonic model of mind as an approximation to neurodynamics

Hierarchy of approximations involved in simplification of microscopic theories, from sub-cellural to the whole brain level, is presented. A new approximation to neural dynamics is described, leading to a Platonic-like model of mind based on psychological spaces. Objects and events in these spaces correspond to quasi-stable states of brain dynamics and may be interpreted from psychological point of view. Platonic model bridges the gap between neurosciences and psychological sciences. Static and dynamic versions of this model are outlined and Feature Space Mapping, a neurofuzzy realization of the static version of Platonic model, described. Categorization experiments with human subjects are analyzed from the neurodynamical and Platonic model points of view

Challenges in Modelling Social Conflicts: Grappling with Polysemy

This discussion paper originates from the preceding annual workshop of the Special Interest Group on Social Conflict and Social Simulation (SIG-SCSS) of the ESSA. The workshop especially focused on the need to identify and examine challenges to modeling social conflicts. It turned out that the polysemous nature of social conflicts makes it very difficult to get a grasp of their complexity. In order to deal with this complexity, various dimensions have to be taken into consideration, beginning with the question of how to identify a conflict in the first place. Other dimensions include the relation of conflict and rationality and how to include non-rational factors into conflict models. This involves a conception of organized action. Finally, guiding principles for model development are being discussed. We would like to invite readers of the Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation to 'sow the seeds' of this debate.Social Conflicts, Conflict Models, Modelling Challenges, Polysemy, Rationality, Emotions

A BDI Empathic Agent Model Based on a Multidimensional Cross-Cultural Emotion Representation

Tesis por compendio[ES] Los seres humanos somos por naturaleza seres afectivos, las emociones, el estado de ánimo, nuestra personalidad, o nuestras relaciones con los demás guían nuestras motivaciones y nuestras decisiones. Una de las principales habilidades cognitivas relacionadas con el afecto es la empatía. La empatía es un constructo psicológico cuya definición ha ido evolucionando a lo largo de los años y cuyo significado hace referencia a un amplio abanico de competencias afectivas y cognitivas que son fundamentales en el desarrollo del ser humano como ser social. El uso de la empatía en el ámbito de la inteligencia artificial puede revolucionar la forma en la que interactuamos con las máquinas así como la forma en la que simulamos el comportamiento humano. Por otro lado, hay que tener en cuenta que los seres humanos habitualmente acudimos al uso de distintas palabras como ``triste'' o ``contento'' para expresar o verbalizar el estado afectivo. Sin embargo, estas palabras son simplificaciones que abarcan un amplio espectro de procesos cognitivos y estados mentales. Además, hay que considerar que estas palabras tienen una alta dependencia del idioma y la cultura en la que se utilizan. Por tanto, los modelos de representación computacional de los estados afectivos deben se capaces de adaptarse a distintos entornos culturales y de permitir que un agente exprese o represente, mediante palabras, un determinado estado afectivo. En esta tesis se propone un nuevo modelo de agente empático capaz de adaptar su comportamiento a distintos entornos culturales. Para ello, en primer lugar, se presenta una nueva metodología basada en la experimentación para adaptar un espacio de representación de emociones basado en las dimensiones del placer y la activación para la simulación y el reconocimiento computacional afectivo a diferentes entornos culturales. Los resultados del experimento realizado con hispanohablantes europeos se utilizan para proporcionar un nuevo modelo basado en la lógica difusa para representar estados afectivos en las dimensiones de placer y activación utilizando un enfoque de coordenadas polares. Para demostrar que las diferencias culturales afectan a los valores de placer y activación asociados a cada emoción, el experimento se repitió con participantes portugueses y suecos. En segundo lugar, se presenta un nuevo modelo de elicitación de emociones en agentes afectivos que utiliza lógica difusa. Las emociones generadas en el agente por las reglas de valoración difusa se expresan en el modelo de representación del afecto resultante de los experimentos previamente descritos. Además, se propone un nuevo proceso de regulación del afecto que adapta el estado de ánimo del agente, representado mediante un vector en el espacio placer-activación, cada vez que una emoción es elicitada. En tercer lugar, se propone una formalización de la sintaxis, la semántica y el ciclo de razonamiento de AgentSpeak para permitir el desarrollo de agentes afectivos con capacidades empáticas. Partiendo de las teorías de valoración empática y regulación empática, se modifica la estructura de razonamiento del agente para permitir que la empatía afecte al proceso de toma de decisiones. Finalmente, se presenta un modelo de agente pedagógico empático para la educación sobre buenas prácticas en el uso de las redes sociales. El agente es capaz de reconocer la emoción del usuario cuando interactúa con la red social. En base a la emoción del usuario y su comportamiento en la red social, el agente estima un plan para educar al usuario en el uso correcto y seguro de las redes sociales.[CA] Els éssers humans som per naturalesa éssers afectius, les emocions, l'estat d'ànim, la nostra personalitat o les nostres relacions amb els altres guien les nostres motivacions i les nostres decisions. Una de les habilitats cognitives principals relacionades amb l'afecte és l'empatia. L'empatia és un constructe psicològic la definició del qual ha anat evolucionant al llarg dels anys i el significat del qual fa referència a un ampli ventall de competències afectives i cognitives que són fonamentals en el desenvolupament de l'ésser humà com a ésser social. L'ús de l'empatia en l'àmbit de la intel·ligència artificial pot revolucionar la forma en la qual interactuem amb les màquines així com la forma en què simulem el comportament humà. D'altra banda, cal tenir en compte que els éssers humans habitualment acudim a l'ús de diferents paraules com ``trist'' o ``content'' per expressar o verbalitzar l'estat afectiu. Tot i això, aquestes paraules són simplificacions que abasten un ampli espectre de processos cognitius i estats mentals. A més, cal considerar que aquestes paraules tenen una alta dependència de l'idioma i la cultura en què s'utilitzen. Per tant, els models de representació computacional dels estats afectius han de ser capaços d'adaptar-se a diferents entorns culturals i de permetre que un agent expresse o represente, mitjançant paraules, un estat afectiu determinat. En aquesta tesi es proposa un nou model d'agent empàtic capaç d'adaptar el seu comportament a diferents entorns culturals. Per això, en primer lloc, es presenta una metodologia nova basada en l'experimentació per adaptar un espai de representació d'emocions basat en les dimensions del plaer i l'activació per a la simulació i el reconeixement computacional afectiu a diferents entorns culturals. Els resultats de l'experiment realitzat amb hispanoparlants europeus es fan servir per proporcionar un nou model basat en la lògica difusa per representar estats afectius en les dimensions de plaer i activació mitjançant un enfocament de coordenades polars. Per demostrar que les diferències culturals afecten els valors de plaer i activació associats a cada emoció, l'experiment es va repetir amb participants portuguesos i suecs. En segon lloc, es presenta un nou model d'elicitació d'emocions en agents afectius que fa servir lògica difusa. Les emocions generades a l'agent per les regles de valoració difusa s'expressen en el model de representació de l'afecte resultant dels experiments descrits prèviament. A més, es proposa un nou procés de regulació de l'afecte que adapta l'estat d'ànim de l'agent, representat mitjançant un vector a l'espai plaer-activació, cada cop que una emoció és elicitada. En tercer lloc, es proposa una formalització de la sintaxi, semàntica i cicle de raonament d'AgentSpeak per permetre el desenvolupament d'agents afectius amb capacitats empàtiques. Partint de les teories de valoració empàtica i regulació empàtica, es modifica l'estructura de raonament de l'agent per permetre que l'empatia afecti el procés de presa de decisions. Finalment, es presenta un model d'agent pedagògic empàtic per a l'educació sobre bones pràctiques en l'ús de les xarxes socials. L'agent és capaç de reconèixer l'emoció de l'usuari quan interactua amb la xarxa social. En base a l'emoció de l'usuari i el seu comportament a la xarxa social, l'agent estima un pla per educar l'usuari en l'ús correcte i segur de les xarxes socials.[EN] Human beings are, by nature, affective beings; our emotions, moods, personality, or relationships with others guide our motivations and our decisions. One of the main cognitive abilities related to affect is empathy. Empathy is a psychological construct whose definition has evolved over the years and whose meaning refers to a wide range of affective and cognitive competencies that are fundamental in the development of human beings as social beings. The use of empathy in the field of artificial intelligence can revolutionize the way we interact with machines as well as the way we simulate human behavior. On the other hand, it must be considered that human beings usually resort to the use of different words such as ``sad'' or ``happy'' to express or verbalize our affective state. However, these words are simplifications that cover a wide spectrum of cognitive processes and mental states. Moreover, it should be considered that these words have a high dependence on the language and culture in which they are used. Therefore, computational representation models of affective states must adaptable to different cultural environments and to allow an agent to express or represent, by means of words, a given affective state. In this thesis, a new model of empathic agent capable of adapting its behavior to different cultural environments is proposed. To this end, first, a new experiment-based methodology to adapt an emotion representation space based on the dimensions of pleasure and arousal for simulation and affective computational recognition to different cultural environments is presented. The results of an experiment conducted with European Spanish speakers are used to provide a new fuzzy logic-based model for representing affective states in the dimensions of pleasure and arousal using a polar coordinate approach. To prove that cultural differences affect the pleasure and arousal values associated with each emotion, the experiment was replicated with Portuguese and Swedish participants. Secondly, a new model of emotion elicitation in affective agents using fuzzy logic is presented. The emotions generated in the agent by the fuzzy appraisal rules are expressed in the model of affect representation resulting from the previously described experiments. In addition, a new affect regulation process is proposed to adapt the agent's mood, represented by a vector in the pleasure-arousal space, when an emotion is elicited. Third, a formalization of the syntax, semantics and reasoning cycle of AgentSpeak to enable the development of affective agents with empathic capabilities is presented. Drawing on the theories of empathic appraisal and empathic regulation, the agent's reasoning structure is modified to allow empathy to affect the decision-making process. Finally, a model of an empathic pedagogical agent for education on good practices in the use of social networks is introduced. The agent is able to recognize the user's emotion when interacting with the social network. Based on the user's emotion and behavior in the social network, the agent estimates a plan to educate the user in the correct and secure use of social networks.This thesis has been partially supported by the Generalitat Valenciana and European Social Fund by the FPI grant ACIF/2017/085 and by the Spanish Government project PID2020- 113416RB-I00.Taverner Aparicio, JJ. (2022). A BDI Empathic Agent Model Based on a Multidimensional Cross-Cultural Emotion Representation [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/181181TESISCompendi

Creativity and the Brain

Neurocognitive approach to higher cognitive functions that bridges the gap between psychological and neural level of description is introduced. Relevant facts about the brain, working memory and representation of symbols in the brain are summarized. Putative brain processes responsible for problem solving, intuition, skill learning and automatization are described. The role of non-dominant brain hemisphere in solving problems requiring insight is conjectured. Two factors seem to be essential for creativity: imagination constrained by experience, and filtering that selects most interesting solutions. Experiments with paired words association are analyzed in details and evidence for stochastic resonance effects is found. Brain activity in the process of invention of novel words is proposed as the simplest way to understand creativity using experimental and computational means. Perspectives on computational models of creativity are discussed

A multidimensional culturally adapted representation of emotions for affective computational simulation and recognition

[EN] One of the main challenges in affective computing is the development of models to represent the information that is inherent to emotions. It is necessary to consider that the terms used by humans to name emotions depend on the culture and language used. This article presents an experiment-based method to represent and adapt emotion terms to different cultural environments. We propose using circular boxplots to analyze the distribution of emotions in the Pleasure-Arousal space. From the results of this analysis, we define a new cross-cultural representation model of emotions in which each emotion term is assigned to an area in the Pleasure-Arousal space. An emotion is represented by a vector in which the direction indicates the type, and the module indicates the intensity of the emotion. We propose two methods based on fuzzy logic to represent and express emotions: the emotion representation process in which the term associated with the recognized emotion is defuzzified and projected as a vector in the Pleasure-Arousal space; and the emotion expression process in which a fuzzification of the vector is produced, generating a fuzzy emotion term that is adapted to the culture and language in which the emotion will be used.This work was supported in part by the Spanish Government project TIN2017-89156-R, Generalitat Valenciana, and European Social Fund by the FPI Grant ACIF/2017/085, in part GVA-CEICE project PROMETEO/2018/002, and TAILOR, a project funded by EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under GA No 952215.Taverner-Aparicio, JJ.; Vivancos, E.; Botti V. (2023). A multidimensional culturally adapted representation of emotions for affective computational simulation and recognition. IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing. 14(1):761-772. https://doi.org/10.1109/TAFFC.2020.303058676177214

Affect and believability in game characters:a review of the use of affective computing in games

Virtual agents are important in many digital environments. Designing a character that highly engages users in terms of interaction is an intricate task constrained by many requirements. One aspect that has gained more attention recently is the effective dimension of the agent. Several studies have addressed the possibility of developing an affect-aware system for a better user experience. Particularly in games, including emotional and social features in NPCs adds depth to the characters, enriches interaction possibilities, and combined with the basic level of competence, creates a more appealing game. Design requirements for emotionally intelligent NPCs differ from general autonomous agents with the main goal being a stronger player-agent relationship as opposed to problem solving and goal assessment. Nevertheless, deploying an affective module into NPCs adds to the complexity of the architecture and constraints. In addition, using such composite NPC in games seems beyond current technology, despite some brave attempts. However, a MARPO-type modular architecture would seem a useful starting point for adding emotions