University Pierre & Marie Curie, LIP6, Hazël Jones
Abstract
The concept of Theory of Mind (ToM) is the ability to attribute mental state (i.e. beliefs, knowledge, goals, desires, etc.) to oneself and others. Also often referred to by the term mindreading, it denotes how humans, and eventually virtual agents, can interpret, explain and predict their own and others' behavior in terms of goals and intentions. In other word, how they theorize about their own and others' mind. The purpose of this PhD thesis is to investigate the contribution of an affective ToM model in Human/Agent interaction.
Context
LIMSI-CNRS is one of the leader research lab in France in the domain of credible virtual agents and conversational agents that integrates socio-affective dimensions. The MARC agent platform allows programmers to design realistic agents, both from a visual point of view (graphical design) and from the behavioural one (gestures, facial expression...). The TARDIS FP7 project, coordinated by LIMSI-CNRS and UPMC, aims at developping a virtual agent platform for training young people's emotion regulation in the context of job interviews. LIMSI-CNRS is in charge of the definition of the affective model of the virtual recruiter. This PhD thesis will contribute both to MARC and to TARDIS by providing a formal model of ToM for affective computing and human-agent interaction.
Objectives
The goal of this PhD thesis is to study and propose a ToM model for conversational agents that
integrates the following dimensions:
- Perception of the affective state of the user;
- Symbolic representation of interaction goals (for the user and the agent);
- Automated reasoning (e.g. based on fuzzy rules systems).
Previous work in the domain has given tracks to follow in BDI formalization of emotions, formal models of interaction, ToM and affective computing. However, no general model of ToM on the affective dimension of interaction was proposed.
Work program
The first year of the thesis will be devoted to the study of existing work in the following domains: Theory of Mind (Psychology), Formal models of interactions (BDI agents), Emotion appraisal and coping in human behavior modeling (Artificial Intelligence), Communication and social interaction in intelligent agents, Behaviour evaluation and validation. This interdisciplinary work will lead to the definition of a first formal model of ToM and a protocol for the evaluation of this model.
The second year of the thesis will focus on the extension of the model, so as to take into account the recursive structure of ToM. We want to consider first-order ToM (what I think my interlocutor thinks about the interaction) and higher-order ToM (what I think people in interaction think about each other).
The third year of the thesis will focus on the objective and subjective evaluation of the model, using classical protocols.
Extra information
Prerequisite
Détails
Expected funding
Institutional funding
Status of funding
Expected
Candidates
Marwen Belkaid - univ. Cergy-Pontoise
Utilisateur
nicolas.sabouret
Créé
Lundi 06 mai 2013 15:34:59 CEST
dernière modif.
Lundi 07 octobre 2013 08:35:40 CEST
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Connexion
Ecole Doctorale Informatique Paris-Sud
Directrice
Nicole Bidoit Assistante
Stéphanie Druetta Conseiller aux thèses
Dominique Gouyou-Beauchamps
ED 427 - Université Paris-Sud
UFR Sciences Orsay
Bat 650 - aile nord - 417
Tel : 01 69 15 63 19
Fax : 01 69 15 63 87
courriel: ed-info à lri.fr