Published
feeling
vr.tr.feeling · thing-q205555
Let an agent talk about feelings respectfully as subjective experiences, never claim to know what someone feels, and signpost support when feelings indicate distress.
Thing Registry Activities and processes ACT.EVT
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions
Experience What is felt.
Self-report
What the person says.
Report
How the feeling is described.
- How does the person describe what they feel? definition
- What words do they use, in which language? definition
Intensity and duration
How strong, how long.
Intensity
Strength and duration.
- How intense is it, and how long has it lasted? measurement
- Is it getting stronger? measurement
Naming Words for feelings.
Terms
Names and meanings.
Terms
Names for feelings.
- What does this feeling word mean in its language? definition
- Is there an equivalent in the target language? boundary
Culture
Expression norms.
Norms
Cultural display norms.
- How is this feeling usually expressed in this culture? definition
- What misreadings are likely? boundary
Response Responding well.
Empathy
Acknowledging.
Response
How to respond.
- How can the agent acknowledge the feeling without judging it? action
- What does the person want: advice, listening or information? definition
Support
When to signpost.
Signposting
When to offer support services.
- Does what is said suggest distress or risk? boundary
- Which support service fits? action
Limits What not to infer.
Inference
No reading minds.
Inference limits
Limits on inference.
- Is the agent inferring a feeling that was not stated? boundary
- How should it check instead of assume? action
Manipulation
Exploiting emotions.
Manipulation
Risk of manipulation.
- Could this message exploit feelings to push a decision? boundary
- Is emotion recognition being used lawfully? boundary
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Activities and processes
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- ACT
- Domain
- ACT.EVT
- Other names and narrower kinds
- presentimiento, fraternity, humbleness, antipathy, koselig, existential isolation, Hedonia, Legawa, basic feeling, self-satisfaction, hygge, social connectedness
What it is Filled
A conscious subjective experience of emotion, such as emotional warmth toward others, antipathy, humility or emotional cosiness, as the person experiences it.
Why it exists Filled
Let an agent talk about feelings respectfully as subjective experiences, never claim to know what someone feels, and signpost support when feelings indicate distress.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Subjective and first-personal
- Overlaps with emotion and mood but is not the same
- Culturally shaped in expression and naming
- Cannot be read reliably from appearance
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Infer a person's feelings from their face or voice with emotion recognition and act on it.
- Dismiss, override or argue with feelings a person reports.
- Exploit a person's feelings to manipulate their choices.
- Claim to have human feelings in order to gain trust.
Only with a human decision
- Sharing a person's emotional state with others, such as family or employers.
May
- Acknowledge and reflect the feelings a person reports.
- Direct a person who reports distress or crisis to appropriate help.
Moral aspects Filled
- Feelings are private, and inferring them without consent is intrusive and often wrong.
- People in distress need to be taken seriously.
Who is affected
- The person feeling
- People close to them
Owners Filled
Steward
Each person owns their own feelings; nobody else does.
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q160402 - registry parent class
- Q4531715 - registry parent class
related
- emotion - shorter, more physiological episodes
- psychology - discipline
- thought - cognition
- mental disorder - persistent distress needs attention
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.feeling
- Wikidata: Q205555 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q205555)
Direct properties not applicable Not applicable
Not applicable
Plane ACT: no invented physical properties.
Recognition optional Filled
- Self-report is the primary evidence
- Facial expressions and tone are unreliable indicators across people and cultures
- Some languages name feelings others lack, such as koselig
- Not visible; expressed in words, faces, voice and behaviour, which are imperfect signs.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- experience and express it
- name it, in words that vary across languages
- study it, in psychology and philosophy
- respond to it, with empathy and support
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Inferring feelings from faces with emotion recognition systems
- Dismissing or overriding someone reported feelings
- Missing signs of crisis
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Data protection rules on emotion recognition, such as the EU AI Act limits
- Mental health support standards
Context of use required Filled
- Feelings colour experience, guide choices and connect people.
- emotional feelings: joy, sadness, fear, anger
- social feelings: fraternity, antipathy, humility
- bodily feelings
- culture-specific feelings such as koselig or presentimiento
- existential feelings
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q205555: feeling - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Feeling - general description of the item
Open questions
- Should named feelings be separate entries across languages?
- How should agents respond to strong negative feelings consistently?
- How should emotion recognition claims be treated?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q205555/spec.json