PURPOSE: To properly discriminate an emotion by extracting features of an audio signal corresponding to the emotion and discriminating the emotion state based on the extent of deviation between this feature signal and a reference audio signal.

CONSTITUTION: A feature signal extracting circuit 20 extracts a feature signal 26 of the audio signal corresponding to the emotion from a voice inputted through a microphone 16. A normalization deviation detecting circuit 22 as the deviation detecting means detects the extent of normalization deviation between the feature signal 26 and the reference audio signal to output a normalization deviation signal 28. A fuzzy inference device 24 as the emotion discriminating means discriminates the emotion based on the normalization deviation signal 28 sent from the normalization deviation detecting circuit 22. With respect to inference rule extraction, rules of a short voice duration (violent words), frequency shift (expression in a low voice), a high signal level (loud voice), a quick signal rise (sharp tone), a great frequency variance (exaggerated expression), etc., are prepared for anger.