Synthesizing emotional behavior in a simple animated character

A simple computer-generated agent was developed of which four behavioral as pects could be altered. Emotional behavior was defined and simulated in ter ms of these aspects. Participants matched a list of six emotions to the ani mated emotional behavior of the agent. Results suggest that it is possible to identify emotions from a set of simulated modulation patterns. The succe ssful simulation of a computer-generated "emotional" agent supports a behav ioral theory of emotion. In addition, it reveals an almost overlooked aspec t of emotion that may spark further research and shows the fertility of the approach known as "artificial life" for the field of psychology.