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From: fgtbell@kcl-cs.UUCP (ZNAC450)
Newsgroups: net.cog-eng
Subject: Re: An idea...(a discussion of modelling human feelings)
Message-ID: <655@neon.kcl-cs.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 19-Mar-86 11:54:44 EST
Article-I.D.: neon.655
Posted: Wed Mar 19 11:54:44 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 22-Mar-86 22:18:53 EST
References: <2008@hao.UUCP> <701@hounx.UUCP>
Reply-To: fgtbell@kcl-cs.UUCP
Followup-To: net.cog-eng
Organization: Department of Computing, Kings College, University of London.
Lines: 42
Keywords: computer emotions
Summary: Is'nt there a difference in levels ?

In article <701@hounx.UUCP> kort@hounx.UUCP writes:
>Bill Roberts invites a discussion of modeling human feelings
>in a computer.
>
>.....  That is, there
>is an interesting analogy between diagnostic messages and
>emotional reactions.

There is,but if one were to seriously attempt to model human emotions,
it would involve much deeper knowledge of how human emotions work.For 
example,I suggest that there are at least four factors involved in any
display of human emotions:

		1) The background ,or history of the individual involved.I
don't think that children can grow up without absorbing a lot from the
culture they find themselves in.

		2) The immediate situation that a human is in.Is work going
well ?  Are you getting enough pay ?  Questions like these affect one's
emotional outlook over a period of months.

		3) Physiological state. There's no mistaking it ,if I haven't
eaten for a few hours,and my blood-sugar levels are low,or if I've got a
headache,tolerance and patience take a turn for the worse.

		4) Role. How do I interact with the people / group I am with
at the moment.? (Or, in the terms of the present discussion,how do I interact
with the computer / operating system I am using ? (I just LOVE UN*X  :-) )).
. Is the relationship colleague-colleague , secretary-boss , client-advisor ,
 vendor-customer or any number of other things ?

My point is this :
	Any computer system that tries to model human emotions is going to
have to model some,not necessarily all of these factors.ALSO, in order to
be really plausible, it's going to have to form a model of the user and 
his /her emotional state. That sets the scene for INTERACTION as opposed to
the `canned response to keyword' approach.

	At the moment,responses such as "syntax error line 49" are more like
the response of a dog that won't lie down when it's told to.

	I hope this article sparks off some more ideas,comments,whatever.