1. A computer-assisted method for simulating the effect of mental state on character behavior in an interactive story environment, the method comprising: displaying, on a computer system including at least one processor, an initial scene of the interactive story; establishing, with the computer system, a simulated mental state model of a character in the interactive story based on the initial scene, the mental state model comprising at least one pre-behavior representation associated with at least one behavior including at least one of a thought, verbal expression, or action; facilitating, with the computer system, manipulation of the initial simulated mental state; triggering, with the computer system, a behavior associated with one of the pre-behavior representations; applying, with the computer system, the manipulated mental state model including the triggered behavior to generate at least one behavior of the character in the interactive story; displaying, with the computer system, the character behavior and results of the character behavior; and, adjusting, with the computer system, the mental state model in response to the character behavior and the results of the character behavior.