TR#538: Computers that Recognise and Respond to User Emotion: Theoretical and Practical Implications
Rosalind W. Picard and Jonathan Klein
To appear in: Interacting with Computers
ABSTRACT
Prototypes of interactive computer systems have been built that can
begin to detect and label aspects of human emotional expression, and
that respond to users experiencing frustration and other negative
emotions with emotionally supportive interactions, demonstrating
components of human skills such as active listening, empathy, and
sympathy. These working systems support the prediction that a computer
can begin to undo some of the negative feelings it causes by helping a
user manage his or her emotional state. This paper clarifies the
philosophy of this new approach to human-computer interaction:
deliberately recognising and responding to an individual user's
emotions in ways that help users meet their needs. We define user
needs in a broader perspective than has been hitherto discussed in the
HCI community, to include emotional and social needs, and examine
technology's emerging capability to address and support such needs. We
raise and discuss potential concerns and objections regarding this
technology, and describe several opportunities for future work.
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