Formally modeling pretend object play

Alexander Zook, Brian Magerko, Mark Riedl

Abstract: We address the problem of building computational agents that are capable of play. Existing research has examined the forms, characteristics, and processes involved in various kinds of play at a high level. However, this research does not provide a unified framework at a level of detail sufficient for building computational agents that can play. As a step toward addressing this gap we synthesize diverse research on pretend play to recognize important components of pretend play agents. We also develop a formal model of one key component of pretend play, pretend object play, and present a computational implementation of this model. Our work provides initial criteria for the content and processes necessary for pretend play agents.