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evaluate the event, which are mostly automatic and therefore rather
subconscious. A situational similarity recognized by the companion
could help here, in case of a conflict between the situation and the user
(motives), to adequately solve it. The sensory-motor and schematic
level of cognitive processing are assessable by extended measurement
of psychobiological sensors of the motor, autonomic and central
nervous system and by automated classification procedures. The last
conceptual level now allows information stored in the memory to
be intentionally used for the evaluation in a reflexive, conceptual-
symbolic process in humans. On this level, it is appropriate to have
the companion system run semantic analyses to anticipate the user's
emotional and dispositional state.
The cognition-theoretical formulations (Leventhal and Scherrer,
1987) differentiate appraisals by complexity, cognitive content and
the level of control between automated and intellectually derived.
The automated appraisals are only cognitive in as much as all
higher functions of the brain can be referred to as cognitive. These
appraisals are not necessarily conscious; however, its result could be an
emotional, subjective experience. Even evaluations of goal achievement
or impairment can run in an automated and unconscious manner,
but will create a subjective feeling. It should be mentioned that
appraisal theories, which consider cognitive stimuli evaluation as the
main causal factor for emotions, are not generally accepted. According
to Frijda (Frijda and Zeelenberg; 2001; Frijda, 2007), evaluations
are the result of a monitoring process of actions and intentions. He
believes that such evaluations do not cause any emotions, but rather,
are cognitive accessory phenomena of the situation or the action,
but not causal for emotions. Whether it is accessory phenomena
or causal triggers, it can only be answered for human-companion
interactions if researching the subjectively felt emotions (feelings) and
the other components of the emotional behavior with regard to their
chronological development.
4.3 Dispositions: Motives, action tendencies,
and various personality traits
4.3.1 Motives
A user's needs, which are relevant for the interaction between humans
and companions, can be categorized by deficits and the needs for
growth (deficit needs and growth needs within the meaning of Maslow
(1943)). The basic needs on the highest level characterize the need for
respect by others, social acceptance, and self-realization (also refer
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