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Compassion and Prosocial Behavior. Is it Possible to Simulate them Virtually?

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Part of the book series: Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing ((AISC,volume 372))

Abstract

In the field of artificial intelligence, a question dealing with computer and cognitive science is arising and becoming more and more crucial: Can we design agents so sophisticated that they are capable of mimicking emotional behaviors in general as well as specific emotions like compassion or empathy? Despite the production of different computational models, their integration with cognitive and psychological theories remains a central problem. Reasons are both methodological and theoretical. Primarily, it is difficult to quantify the impact of such factors as individual differences, inclinations and personality traits. In addition, Agent-Based Models (ABMs) often use linear dynamics, even in describing emotions, without considering the basis of psychophysics. Bearing in mind this and focusing on compassion as a particular emotion, the paper aims to present a “Decalogue” for those interested in designing agents capable of mimicking human emotional behaviors. In the paper, compassion will be translated as prosocial behavior.

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Correspondence to Andrea Ceschi .

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© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

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Ceschi, A., Scalco, A., Dickert, S., Sartori, R. (2015). Compassion and Prosocial Behavior. Is it Possible to Simulate them Virtually?. In: Bajo, J., et al. Trends in Practical Applications of Agents, Multi-Agent Systems and Sustainability. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 372. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19629-9_23

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-19629-9_23

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-19628-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-19629-9

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