SoCS: Achieving the Interpersonal Function of Affect in Human-Machine Collaboration

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Displays of anger or joy can profoundly shape the behavior of those around us. This project brings a functionalist perspective to the study of such influences on human decision-making. Rather than treating affective displays as mere manifestation of internal experience, they can be viewed as strategic other-directed signals that facilitate social goals, for example by conveying specific internal beliefs, desires and future intentions. The project explores the theory of "reverse appraisal" as a framework for explaining and computationally modeling this social process. Specifically, this theory will be used to unpack the mechanisms by which affective displays influence outcomes in social dilemmas and negotiations. This functional analysis also informs the design of human-computer and computer-mediated collaboration systems. The project uses a framework based on "virtual confederates" - i.e., anthropomorphic computer characters - to study social affect. It builds on reverse appraisal's insight that what matters is the information (function) not the display in itself (form) and studies how the social functions of affect apply to systems that extend beyond virtual humans.Broader Impact. The project promotes synergies between social and computational sciences: it contributes to understanding the psychology of how affective expressions impact people's decisions in social, economic and daily life; and, it advances the state of human-computer systems for collaboration in practical domains such as negotiation, and has implications for designing collaborative computer-mediated systems. The research results in new tools -- virtual confederates -- or studying social processes, which will be offered freely to the scientific community. Finally, the project supports research and mentoring activities for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars towards a multidisciplinary specialization in affect and decision making.