Skip to main content

A Computational Model of Emotional Attention for Autonomous Agents

  • Conference paper
  • 803 Accesses

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((TCOMPUTATSCIE,volume 7848))

Abstract

A major challenge in artificial intelligence has been the development of autonomous agents (AAs) capable of displaying very believable behaviors. In order to achieve such objective, the underlying architectures of these intelligent systems have been designed to incorporate biologically inspired components. It is expected that through the interaction of this type of components, AAs are able to implement more intelligent and believable behavior. Although the literature reports several computational models of attention and emotions developed to be included in cognitive agent architectures, these have been implemented as two separated processes, disregarding essential interactions between these two human functions whose modeling and computational implementation may increase the believability of behaviors developed by AAs. In this paper, we propose a biologically inspired computational model of emotional attention. This model is designed to provide AAs with adequate mechanisms to attend and react to emotionally salient elements in the environment. The results of four types of simulations performed to evaluate the behavior of AAs implementing the proposed model are presented.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Baluch, F., Itti, L.: Mechanisms of top-down attention. Trends in Neurosciences 34(4), 210–224 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Bee, N., Falk, B., André, E.: Simplified facial animation control utilizing novel input devices: a comparative study. In: Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces, pp. 197–206. ACM, New York (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bisley, J.W., Mirpour, K., Arcizet, F., Ong, W.S.: The role of the lateral intraparietal area in orienting attention and its implications for visual search. European Journal of Neuroscience 33(11), 1982–1990 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Breazeal, C., Scassellati, B.: A context-dependent attention system for a social robot. In: Proceedings of the Sixteenth International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, IJCAI 1999, pp. 1146–1151 (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Bullier, J.: Integrated model of visual processing. Brain Research Reviews 36(2-3), 96–107 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Ekman, P.: Facial expressions. In: Dalgleish, T., Power, M.J. (eds.) Handbook of Cognition and Emotion, pp. 301–320. John Wiley and Sons (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Engel, S., Zhang, X., Wandell, B.: Colour tuning in human visual cortex measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging. Nature 388(6637), 68–71 (1997)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Fredrickson, B.L., Branigan, C.: Positive emotions broaden the scope of attention and thought-action repertoires. Cognition & Emotion 19(3), 313–332 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Freese, J.L., Amaral, D.G.: Neuroanatomy of the primate amygdala. In: Whalen, P.J., Phelps, E.A. (eds.) The Human Amygdala, pp. 3–42. The Guilford Press (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Frijda, N.: The Emotions. Cambridge University Press (1986)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Hudlicka, E.: Modeling the mechanisms of emotion effects on cognition. In: Proceedings of the AAAI Fall Symposium on Biologically Inspired Cognitive Architectures, pp. 82–86 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Itti, L., Koch, C., Niebur, E.: A model of saliency-based visual attention for rapid scene analysis. IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence 20(11), 1254–1259 (1998)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Kastner, S., Ungerleider, L.G.: Mechanisms of visual attention in the human cortex. Annual Review of Neuroscience 23(1), 315–341 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. LeDoux, J.E.: Emotion circuits in the brain. Annual Reviews 23, 155–184 (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Leventhal, A.G.: The Neural Basis of Visual Function: Vision and Visual Dysfunction. CRC Press (1991)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Li, Z.: A saliency map in primary visual cortex. Trends in Cognitive Sciences 6(1), 9–16 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Ohman, A., Flykt, A., Esteves, F.: Emotion drives attention: Detecting the snake in the grass. Journal of Experimental Psychology 130(3), 466–478 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Öhman, A., Flykt, A., Lundqvist, D.: Unconscious emotion: Evolutionary perspectives, psychophysiological data, and neuropsychological mechanisms. In: Lane, R.D., Nadel, L. (eds.) Cognitive Neuroscience of Emotion, 1st edn. Oxford University Press (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Pessoa, L.: On the relationship between emotion and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 9, 148–158 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Pessoa, L., Pereira, M.G., Oliveira, L.: Attention and emotion. Scholarpedia 5(2), 6314 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Peters, C.: Designing an emotional and attentive virtual infant. In: Paiva, A.C.R., Prada, R., Picard, R.W. (eds.) ACII 2007. LNCS, vol. 4738, pp. 386–397. Springer, Heidelberg (2007)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  22. Phelps, E.A., Ling, S., Carrasco, M.: Emotion facilitates perception and potentiates the perceptual benefits of attention. Psychological Science 17(4), 292–299 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Phepls, E.A.: Emotion and cognition: Insights from studies of the human amygdala. Annual Review of Psychology 57, 27–53 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Russell, J.A.: Core affect and the psychological construction of emotion. Psychological Review 110(1), 145–172 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Shipp, S.: The brain circuitry of attention. Trends in Cognitive Sciences 8(5), 223–230 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Taylor, J.G., Fragopanagos, N.F.: The interaction of attention and emotion. Neural Networks 18(4), 353–369 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Taylor, J., Fragopanagos, N.: Modelling human attention and emotions. In: Proceedings of the 2004 IEEE International Joint Conference on Neural Networks, pp. 501–506 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  28. VanRullen, R.: Visual saliency and spike timing in the ventral visual pathway. Journal of Physiology-Paris 97(2-3), 365–377 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Vuilleumier, P.: How brains beware: neural mechanisms of emotional attention. Trends in Cognitive Sciences 9(12), 585–594 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Barriga, S.D., Rodríguez, LF., Ramos, F., Ramos, M. (2013). A Computational Model of Emotional Attention for Autonomous Agents. In: Gavrilova, M.L., Tan, C.J.K., Kuijper, A. (eds) Transactions on Computational Science XVIII. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 7848. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-38803-3_11

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-38803-3_11

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-38802-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-38803-3

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics