In this paper, we consider the problem of computing the affective responses that humans experience when reading or watching stories. Evidence suggests that emotional responses result from recipient (reader, watcher, etc.) problem solving on behalf of story world characters when the recipient predicts undesirable narrative outcomes. Our system computes the level of tension a human recipient is expected to experience as a narrative unfolds. The system efficiently determines possible future outcomes, measures their utility, and estimates the probability that they will occur. The resultant estimate of tension is a function of expected utility.
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