Emotion in intelligent virtual agents: The flow model of emotion

Different models have been proposed to support emotion in artificial agents. However, a general framework to support the implementation of emotional agents of different kinds and levels of complexity is still not well defined. In this paper we present a model that is independent of specific physiological or psychological details, despite being inspired by biological processes, defining an emotional structure that can be objectively implemented and evaluated, and which can be used to integrate and extend other agent models, like deliberative models. Concrete results are presented to illustrate the model adequacy for agent emotional characterization.