1. Mind RACES: some Emerging Challenges
Cristiano Castelfranchi
Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies
National Research Council of Italy
MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006

2. Some EMERGING CHALLENGES
Let’s put aside
ATTENTION
LEVELS of ACTION CONTROL
MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006

3. Some EMERGING CHALLENGES for example: 1
A lot of Emotional responses are related a) to expected events or outcomes or to b) the match or mismatch between the anticipated event or value and what is achieved or happens >> Does the Agent get more or less than expected? (IST) >> Is the Agent expecting a harm or danger ? >> Is the Agent realizing a lack of knowledge and high uncertainty ? (ISTC) Specific Emotional states or responses are related to these Anticipatory situations
MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006

4. Some EMERGING CHALLENGES for example: 1
Emotional responses >> will we be able to model and implement some of these responses and their adaptive functionality ? which is the use of fear, joy, anxiety, felt frustration, relief, etc. ? >> will we be able to integrate some of these functions with other anticipatory mechanisms like decision, planning, attention, etc. ?
MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006

5. Some EMERGING CHALLENGES for example: 2
Bases & Mechanisms for PREDICTION >> can we model and implement other kinds of predictions beyond the fundamental statistical learning, probability, or analogical reasoning ? Predictions based on Laws and Norms? Predictions based on the Ascription of goals and beliefs to the other Agent? >> Aren’t these functions and their integration fundamental for interaction & coordination with other Agents and humans ?
MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006

6. Some EMERGING CHALLENGES for example: 2
Relationship between
sensory-motor expectations controlling the action and
Symbolic/propositional predictions and goals
No Goal can be matched against the world if not “translated” into sensory expectations or signs
MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006

7. Some EMERGING CHALLENGES for example: 3
SURPRISE >> WHAT IS ‘SURPRISE’? >> WHAT IS SURPRISE FOR? >> ARE THERE DIFFERENT KINDS of SURPRISE?
ONLY ORGANISMS ABLE TO PRODUCE ANTICIPATORY REPRESENTATIONS CAN BE ‘SURPRISED’
MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006

8. MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006
WHAT IS SURPRISE?
'Surprise' is the automatic reaction to a mismatch. It is:
- a (felt) reaction/response;
- of alert and arousal;
- due to an inconsistency (mismatch, non-assimilation, lack of integration)
between incoming information and our previous knowledge, in particular an
actual prediction or a potential prediction (error in prediction);
- invoking and mobilizing resources at disposal of an activity for a better
epistemic processing of this 'strange' information (attention, search, belief
revision, etc.), but also for coping with the potential 'threat';
- aimed at solving the inconsistency;
- and at preventing possible dangers (the reason for the alarm) due to a lack
of predictability and to a wrong anticipation.
MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006

9. Not just a ‘degree’ on a continuum. Not simply matter of ‘intensity’
WHAT IS SURPRISE?
Not just a ‘degree’ on a continuum. Not simply matter of ‘intensity’
Different Kinds and Levels of Surprise with different ‘qualities’ and ‘transitions’ No
surprise
Maximum 1
MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006

10. MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006
WHAT IS SURPRISE?
“First-hand surprise” -
the most peripheral one,
just due to perceptual mismatch -
based on sensory-motor expectations
Deeper and slower forms of surprise
due to symbolic representations of expected events, and to the process of information integration with previous long-term knowledge and explanation of the perceived data (Meyer et al. 1997; Reisenzein 2000).
This is surprise due to implausibility, un-believability
of the new information
MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006

11. MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006
WHAT IS SURPRISE?
i) Firsthand Surprise,
or Surprise in Perception/Sensing or
Active-Prediction-based Surprise,
or Mismatch-based Surprise
I'm actively checking whether P or not P but with the forecast that P, that is, I have an endogenous anticipatory representation of the incoming input and I attempt to match the stimulus against it. If there is a mismatch between the two (sensory) representations there is surprise:
MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006

12. MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006
WHAT IS SURPRISE?
>>The more sure I was about the more surprised I am
Intensity of Surprise = Function (Bel%)
But also
>>The larger the mismatch the more surprised I am (??)
Surprise based on the subjective probability of the event (in a given context)
-”information theory”
- other cognitive approaches
MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006

13. MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006
WHAT IS SURPRISE?
Moreover, if I was also concerned (as usually is for leaving systems) that is if there was
not just a forecast but an "expectation"
then I will be more surprised,
meaning that my response/reaction will be more intense.
My concern affects the surprise
which is not only an "epistemic" reaction
>>The more important the Goal
the more Surprise I will be
MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006

14. MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006
WHAT IS SURPRISE?
>>The more important the Goal the more Surprised I will be
better: the more intense the response
>>Not fully independent dimensions
The desire/wish/need and its value
can impact on the belief (prediction)
While
The certainty of the prediction (belief)
can impact on the value of the goal
When there is an expectation not simply a forecast, when the Ag is ‘concerned’
there will be also specific and richer affective reactions
MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006

15. MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006
WHAT IS SURPRISE?
ii) Passive Prediction-based Surprise
Passive expectation:
I have formulated an explicit prediction but it is not actively used for testing the event, I'm not checking whether, exploring.
The information simply arrives (I was not specifically searching for it) but its consistency should be tested in anyway,
first of all, with anticipatory representation in the background, off attention.
>> Attention is moved on this discrepancy.
Intensity laws look similar to the previous ones.
In both cases there is this additional principle:
MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006

16. MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006
WHAT IS SURPRISE?
Additional principle:
>> Two kinds of ‘unexpectedness’
Given the 'belief' (Prediction) about a future event P when P really happens we can have
3 different cases:
1. P & prediction that P ==> No surprise
2. P & No prediction that P (& No prediction that Not P) ==> weak surprise
3. P & prediction that Not P ==> strong surprise
MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006

17. MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006
WHAT IS SURPRISE?
iii) Surprise in Integration or Implausibility-based Surprise
”I wouldn't have expected that..." (if, on the basis of my beliefs, by
means of some inferential processes, I would have produced an anticipation I wouldn't
have anticipated this).
Incredulity comes later from the deep control, the attempt to integrate with previous
knowledge, not from a mismatch; and not necessarily is preceded by a mismatch-surprise.
Prediction: The more "incredible" the more "surprising"
“Incredible” means that from my previous integrated-coherent believed beliefs I would derive(Not P) the opposite of the candidate belief that P.
The stronger the inferred opponent (Bel% Not P) the more incredible P for me, and thus the more surprising.
MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006

18. MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006
WHAT IS SURPRISE FOR ?
several functions
the immediate response and short-term functions
It is not only related to redirecting attention on the mismatching facts.
Signaling the crisis of a automatic, unconscious, routine process and to go back to higher level intentional, conscious processing.
Discovering that we were “ignorant”: “careful! there is gap of knowledge”
Concentrating cognitive processing resources on facts,
- trying to better interpreting them etc. (epistemic reaction).
‘Expressive’ response
Activating resources for possible practical (non-epistemic) activity; physical arousal, bodily preparation for fast reaction.
MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006

19. MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006
WHAT IS SURPRISE FOR ?
long term effects and functions
of the perceived surprise due to a bad prediction; for example:
Revising that prediction, reducing its strength (a learning feedback);
Becoming more cautious next time in the same circumstances; less confident; increasing controls before and during the actions;
Reducing self-confidence as predictor; acquire more evidences, be careful in reasoning, etc.
MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006

20. MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006
WHAT IS SURPRISE FOR ?
A very relevant function is the other way around:
The lack of surprise, the confirmation on predictions and expectations leans to reduce control, attention, packing in automatic execution
Eliciting emotions: surprise  appraisal of  emotion: fear, disappointment, relief, exultance, …
Surprise-based Emotions
Impact on memory? The surprising events are better memorized? and more accessible?
Others??
MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006

21. Some EMERGING CHALLENGES for example: 4
From MindRaces discussion and from AAAI ws (Deb Roy)
What is the use of “mental” simulation ?
Learning by simulating
Anticipating input and comparing
for learning
for adjusting the action
for surprise and emotional responses
“Mentally” solving problems …
MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006

22. Some EMERGING CHALLENGES for example: 3
Curiosity
& Epistemic Activity
- beyond Attention
- or being Coutious
MindRACES, First Review Meeting, Lund, 11/01/2006