Affective computing and emotional intelligence: state of the art and future developments


Abstract

The present article aims at providing an overview of the studies and research that, in the last years, have applied the principles of Affective Computing (Picard, 1995) to education, particularly in the supporting and developing of social and emotional competences in subjects with special educational needs. The analysis of this particular kind of emotional Artificial Intelligence able to process, understand and in some instances even replicate the user’s emotional states, will be the starting point for a reflection on the convergence of emotional intelligence and Affective Computing, in order to analyze their potential in helping all students, not just those with specific disabilities, to acquire and strengthen their interpersonal and intrapersonal skills.