smart.lab.tunisia@gmail.com +216 71 588 443
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Mouna Belhaj

Informations générales

Mouna Belhaj
Grade

Maître Assistant

Biographie courte

Mouna Belhaj is an Assistant Professor in Computing at the University of Carthage (FSEG-Nabeul) and a researcher at the SMART Lab, University of Tunis (ISG), Tunisia. She received her B.Sc. (2006), M.Sc. (2008), and Ph.D. (2016) from the University of Tunis (ISG Tunis). Her research focuses on emotional agents, emotion recognition, sentiment analysis, affective computing, and emergency management. She develops computational models of emotions and investigates how affective computing can improve the understanding and prediction of human behavior.

Axes de recherche

Artificial Intelligence
Deep Learning
Machine Learning
Multi Agent System

Publications

  • 2020
    Oussama Kebir, Issam Nouaouri, Mouna Belhaj, Lamjed Ben Said, Kamel Akrout

    A multi-agent model for countering terrorism

    In Knowledge Innovation Through Intelligent Software Methodologies, Tools and Techniques (pp. 260-271). IOS Press., 2020

    Résumé

    The rise of terrorism over the past decade did not only hinder the development of some countries, but also it continues to destroy humanity. To face this concept of an emerging crisis, every country and every citizen is responsible for the fight against terrorism. As conventional plans became useless against terrorism, governments are required to establish innovative concepts and technologies to support units in this asymmetric war. In this paper, we propose a new multi-agent model for
    counter-terrorism characterized by a methodical process and a flexibility to handle different contingency scenarios. The division of labour in our multi-agent model improves decision making and the structuring of organisational plans.

    Oussama Kebir, Issam Nouaouri, Mouna Belhaj, Lamjed Ben Said, Kamel Akrout

    A multi-agent architecture for modeling organizational planning against terrorist attacks in urban areas

    2020 International Multi-Conference on: “Organization of Knowledge and Advanced Technologies” (OCTA), Tunis, Tunisia, 2020, pp. 1-8, doi: 10.1109/OCTA49274.2020.9151843., 2020

    Résumé

    Nowadays the world is suffering from the emergence of a new concept of war, it is the asymmetric warfare created by the terrorists' new combat doctrine. As the plans to face classic enemies have become unusual against terrorism, this calls for innovative concepts and technologies to support the units and to improve the capability of leaders and structure their choices. In this paper, we propose a multi agent architecture for action planning against terrorist attacks. It is characterized by rapid decisive responses and methodical steps to handle the situation, and by the flexibility to adapt a contingency scenario. We aim to create a multi-agent model that describes the relation between actors during the terrorist attack in order to find the best possible units distribution to neutralize the enemy.

  • Mouna Belhaj, Hanen Lejmi, Lamjed Ben Said

    Studying emotions at work using agent-based modeling and simulation

    In IFIP international conference on artificial intelligence applications and innovations (pp. 571-583). Cham: Springer International Publishing., 2019

    Résumé

    Emotions in workplace is a topic that has increasingly at
    tracted attention of both organizational practitioners and academics. This is due to the fundamental role emotions play in shaping human resources behaviors, performance, productivity, interpersonal relationships and engagement at work. In the current research, a computational social simulation approach is adopted to replicate and study the emotional experiences of employees in organizations. More speci cally, an emotional
    agent-based model of an employee at work is proposed. The developed model is used in a computer simulator WEMOS (Workers EMotions in Organizations Simulator) to conduct certain analyzes in relation to the most likely emotions-evoking stimuli as well as the emotional content of several work-related stimuli. Simulation results can be employed to gain deeper understanding about emotions in the work life.

    Hanen Lejmi, Mouna Belhaj, Lamjed Ben Said

    Studying Emotions at Work Using Agent-Based Modeling and Simulation

    Studying Emotions at Work Using Agent-Based Modeling and Simulation, 2019

    Résumé

    Emotions in workplace is a topic that has increasingly attracted attention of both organizational practitioners and academics. This is due to the fundamental role emotions play in shaping human resources behaviors, performance, productivity, interpersonal relationships and engagement at work. In the current research, a computational social simulation approach is adopted to replicate and study the emotional experiences of employees in organizations. More specifically, an emotional agent-based model of an employee at work is proposed. The developed model is used in a computer simulator WEMOS (Workers EMotions in Organizations Simulator) to conduct certain analyzes in relation to the most likely emotions-evoking stimuli as well as the emotional content of several work-related stimuli. Simulation results can be employed to gain deeper understanding about emotions in the work life.

  • Mouna Belhaj, Fahem Kebair, Lamjed Ben Said

    Emotional dynamics and coping mechanisms to generate human-like agent behaviors

    Applied Artificial Intelligence, 31(5-6), 472-492., 2017

    Résumé

    Emotion mechanisms represent an important moderating factor of human behavior. Thus, they are necessary to produce realistic behavioral simulations. This work addresses this challenging issue by incorporating emotional processes into an agent model. We intend to show the potential of emotions and coping mechanisms to produce fast and human-like emotional behaviors, particularly, in emergency situations. We focus on the interplay of emotions and goals and its impact on agent behavior. Emotions constitute heuristics to agent decision making. They induce emotion-specific goals that orient agent goal adoption mechanisms and fasten its behavior selection.

  • Mouna Belhaj, Fahem Kebair, Lamjed Ben Said

    Modeling and simulation of coping mechanisms and emotional behavior during emergency situations

    In Agent and Multi-Agent Systems: Technology and Applications: 10th KES International Conference, KES-AMSTA 2016 Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, Spain, June 2016 Proceedings (pp. 163-176). Cham: Springer International Publishing., 2016

    Résumé

    Emotions shape human behaviors particularly during stressful situations. This paper addresses this challenging issue by incorporating coping mechanisms into an emotional agent. Indeed, coping refers to cognitive and behavioral efforts employed by humans to overcome stressful situations. In our proposal, we intend to show the potential of the integration of coping strategies to produce fast and human-like behavioral responses in emergency situations. Particularly, we propose a coping model that reveals the effect of agent emotions on their action selection processes.

  • Mouna Belhaj, Fahem Kebair, Lamjed Ben Said

    [PDF] à partir de researchgate.net Modelling and simulation of human behavioural and emotional dynamics during emergencies: A review of the state-of-the-art

    International Journal of Emergency Management, 11(2), 129-145., 2015

    Résumé

    Research works on human behaviour modelling and simulation
    continue to increase in recent years. Indeed, emotion and personality are amongthe most important human characteristics that influence behaviour. Particularly, during emergencies, emotional dynamics have a major influence on individual
    and collective behaviours. In this paper, we aim to provide an integrated review on this challenging and multidisciplinary field. We give first an overview of computational models of emotions and personalities. Then, we expose and discuss emotional and behavioural models. An emphasis is given to the role of
    internal and external emotional dynamics in the production of realistic behaviours during emergencies. Internal emotional dynamics affect cognitive processes at an individual level. However, external emotional dynamics, studied through phenomena such as empathy or emotional contagion, are
    essential to simulate collective emotional dynamics.

  • Mouna Belhaj, Fahem Kebair, Lamjed Ben Said

    A computational model of emotions for the simulation of human emotional dynamics in emergency situations

    International Journal of Computer Theory and Engineering, 6(3), 227., 2014

    Résumé

    Emotions have a considerable effect on human
    behaviors and cognitive processes, especially during crisis
    situations. Emotion modeling is therefore a key solution to
    generate realistic social simulations in crisis situations. In this
    context, we intend to model human emotional dynamics and to
    study their effect on individual and collective behaviors during
    emergency situations. In this paper, we focus on the first part of
    this research work which consists in the modeling of emotion
    generation in emergency situations. Thus, we provide first a
    modeling of the disaster space in a rescue simulation context.
    Then, we propose a computational model of the generated
    human emotions, basing on the emergency environment. This
    model uses the appraisal theories of emotions.

    Mouna Belhaj, Fahem Kebair, Lamjed Ben Said

    An emotional agent model for the simulation of realistic civilian behaviors during emergency situations

    IEEE/WIC/ACM International Joint Conferences on Web Intelligence (WI) and Intelligent Agent Technologies (IAT), Warsaw, Poland, 2014, pp. 262-269, doi: 10.1109/WI-IAT.2014.176., 2014

    Résumé

    Analyzing human behaviors during emergency situations contributes to build efficient emergency management plans. Indeed, research shows that emotions have a major influence on human behavior particularly to respond to highly emotive events such as those happening in emergency situations. Therefore, it is recognized that they are necessary to produce human-like behaviors in artificial agents. In this paper, we present an emotional agent model of human civilians in an emergency context. The aim is to model and to simulate the emotion generation process and the impact of the elicited emotions on civilian behaviors in an emergency situation during a disaster.

    Mouna Belhaj, Fahem Kebair, Lamjed Ben Said

    Agent-based modeling and simulation of the emotional and behavioral dynamics of human civilians during emergency situations

    In: Müller, J.P., Weyrich, M., Bazzan, A.L.C. (eds) Multiagent System Technologies. MATES 2014. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 8732. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-11584-9_18, 2014

    Résumé

    Agent based social simulations are becoming prevailing tools in the context of human behavior studies. Researchers in psychology, cognitive science and neuroscience have proved the prominent role of emotion on cognition and behavior. Particularly, during emergency situations, human emotional dynamics have a major effect on behavior. In this context, we aim to study the role of emotions in reproducing human-like emotional civilian agents. The objective of the current research work is to model and to simulate human emotional dynamics and their effect on the behaviors of civilians in emergencies. In this article, we describe an emotional agent model that integrates a computational model of emotions. Agent perceptions are subject to a cognitive appraisal process to generate agent emotions. These have an effect on the generation of agent behavior.

    Mouna Belhaj, Fahem Kebair, Lamjed Ben Said

    Emotional Agent Model for Simulating and Studying the Impact of Emotions on the Behaviors of Civilians during Emergency Situations

    In International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management in Mediterranean Countries (pp. 206-217). Cham: Springer International Publishing., 2014

    Résumé

    Emotion is one of the major factors that can affect the human behavior, especially in emergency situations. To consolidate this idea, we need to model and to simulate human emotional dynamics and their effects on the behaviors of human civilians in emergencies. This may help consequently emergency managers to better react and make decisions. This paper addresses this challenge by presenting a new emotional agent model. The final goal of this work is to build an emotional agent based simulator of civilians during an emergency situation. The paper describes first the proposed agent model, based on an appraisal theory of emotions. It provides then an implementation and experimentations performed using the RoboCupRescue project.