Modeling motivations and emotions as a basis for intelligent behavior

We report on an experiment to implement an autonomous creature situated in a two-dimensional world, that shows various learning and problem-solving capabilities, within the Society of Mind framework. This goal is approached from a developmental perspective, where phases in the experiment correspond broadly to cognitive stages in the development of an infant. This paper describes the first stage, the creature being a newborn whose behavior is strongly driven by motivational states---impulses to action based on bodily needs---and basic emotions---peripheral and cognitive responsestriggered by the recognition of a significant event. Physiological parameters are used to model both concepts, which are seen by analogy with control systems. Motivations drive behavior selection and organization based on the notions of arousal and satiation, and the exploitation principle. Emotions exert further control by sending hormones that may affect the intensity of the selected behavior, enable it, or p...