Affective Computing: A Reverence for a Century of Research

To bring affective computing a leap forward, it is best to start with a step back. A century of research has been conducted on topics, which are crucial for affective computing. Understanding this vast amount of research will accelerate progress on affective computing. Therefore, this article provides an overview of the history of affective computing. The complexity of affect will be described by discussing i) the relation between body and mind, ii) cognitive processes (i.e., attention, memory, and decision making), and iii) affective computing’s I/O. Subsequently, definitions are provided of affect and related constructs (i.e., emotion, mood, interpersonal stances, attitude, and personality traits) and of affective computing. Perhaps when these elements are embraced by the community of affective computing, it will us a step closer in bridging its semantic gap.