Between Downward Spirals and Habituation: Emotion Intensity in Virtual Agents’ Memory Retrieval

In the present article a model for memory retrieval of personal experiences for virtual agents is presented. It builds upon previous work and focuses on the effect memory retrieval can have on the agent’s emotional state. Memory retrieval is defined as an emotional re-appraisal of past experiences. The variation of intensity of such reexperience is explored by modeling two phenomena: downward spirals and habituation. Downward spirals consist of situations in which recurrent retrieval of negatively charged past memories increases the recall intensity of such memories in depressed individuals. Habituation is the reduction of recall intensity caused by re-experiencing past experiences in a context perceived by the individual as safe.