Explanation & Argumentation
The matrices of argumentation frameworks
We introduce matrix and its block to the Dung's theory of argumentation frameworks. It is showed that each argumentation framework has a matrix representation, and the common extension-based semantics of argumentation framework can be characterized by blocks of matrix and their relations. In contrast with traditional method of directed graph, the matrix way has the advantage of computability. Therefore, it has an extensive perspective to bring the theory of matrix into the research of argumentation frameworks and related areas.
Making Use of Advances in Answer-Set Programming for Abstract Argumentation Systems
Dvořák, Wolfgang, Gaggl, Sarah Alice, Wallner, Johannes, Woltran, Stefan
Dung's famous abstract argumentation frameworks represent the core formalism for many problems and applications in the field of argumentation which significantly evolved within the last decade. Recent work in the field has thus focused on implementations for these frameworks, whereby one of the main approaches is to use Answer-Set Programming (ASP). While some of the argumentation semantics can be nicely expressed within the ASP language, others required rather cumbersome encoding techniques. Recent advances in ASP systems, in particular, the metasp optimization frontend for the ASP-package gringo/claspD provides direct commands to filter answer sets satisfying certain subset-minimality (or -maximality) constraints. This allows for much simpler encodings compared to the ones in standard ASP language. In this paper, we experimentally compare the original encodings (for the argumentation semantics based on preferred, semi-stable, and respectively, stage extensions) with new metasp encodings. Moreover, we provide novel encodings for the recently introduced resolution-based grounded semantics. Our experimental results indicate that the metasp approach works well in those cases where the complexity of the encoded problem is adequately mirrored within the metasp approach.
On the Intertranslatability of Argumentation Semantics
Translations between different nonmonotonic formalisms always have been an important topic in the field, in particular to understand the knowledge-representation capabilities those formalisms offer. We provide such an investigation in terms of different semantics proposed for abstract argumentation frameworks, a nonmonotonic yet simple formalism which received increasing interest within the last decade. Although the properties of these different semantics are nowadays well understood, there are no explicit results about intertranslatability. We provide such translations wrt.
The RhetFig Project: Computational Rhetorics and Models of Persuasion
Marco, Chrysanne Di (University of Waterloo) | Harris, Randy Allen (University of Waterloo)
We argue, reason, cajole, and persuade -- we deploy the overtly purposive use of figures. The traditional literary rhetoric -- because we are social animals endowed with a purpose, generating aesthetic pleasure, is best known (poetry symbolic mode of thought and communication who seek and fiction, myths and prayers, songs and jokes, are highly to shape our social environment, to compete, and to cooperate. But mnemonic formulas, As rhetoricians, philosophers, and semiologists have proverbs, oral traditions, children's literature, marketing regularly noticed, some patterns of argumentation and cajolery - in short, any linguistic configuration serving purposes are more successful than others. These patterns of usage in which mental characteristics like attention, learnability, -- collectively known as rhetorical figures -- include both and recollection are at a premium - follows one syntactic and semantic patterns, but it is the schemes (e.g., or several grooves that rhetorical theorists in the classical alliteration (word-initial consonant repetition), assonance and early-modern periods identified with rhetorical figures. The repetition, incrementation, and the like), the insight that importance of rhetorical figuration in modelling aspects of motivates this project is unmistakeable. We believe incorporating rhetorical figuration rhetoric-based metrics for text summarization) into natural language systems will have profound implications.
A Social Collaboration Argumentation System for Generating Multi-Faceted Answers in Question and Answer Communities
Sethi, Ricky J. (University of California, Los Angeles) | Gil, Yolanda (University of Southern California/Information Sciences Institute)
In this paper, we propose an innovative approach for the development of social collaboration argumentation systems. These systems enable a community to collaboratively create answers to questions where many possible answers, or nuanced perspectives on a single answer, can be posited. We examine the emergence of critical reasoning via crowdsourced structured discussions, which are built upon a graph-theoretic framework populated by atomic argumentation components. Finally, we address the design of the online community to best facilitate this interaction. Our main contribution is the rationale and design of the system, which can easily be extended to build a general eLearning framework.
Adding Affective Argumentation to the GenIE Assistant
Green, Nancy L. (University of North Carolina Greensboro) | Stadler, Brian (University of North Carolina Greensboro) | Kimbrough, Jennifer (University of North Carolina Greensboro)
The strategies seem designed to mitigate guilt over the parents' role in their The GenIE Assistant is an implemented proof-of-concept child's inheritance of a genetic condition. The names used computational model of normative biomedical argument to refer to the strategies in this paper and examples of generation informed by study of a corpus of letters each are listed below. All four apply to cases of written by genetic counselors to their clients (Green et al. autosomal recessive inheritance, while only the first two 2011). The goal of the model is to generate transparent apply to cases of autosomal dominant inheritance.
Believe Me—We Can Do This! Annotating Persuasive Acts in Blog Text
Anand, Pranav (University of California, Santa Cruz) | King, Joseph (University of California, Santa Cruz) | Boyd-Graber, Jordan (University of Maryland) | Wagner, Earl (University of Maryland) | Martell, Craig (The Naval Postgraduate School) | Oard, Doug (University of Maryland) | Resnik, Philip (University of Maryland)
This paper describes the development of a corpus of blog posts that are annotated for the presence of attempts to persuade and corresponding tactics employed in persuasive messages. We investigate the feasibility of classifying blog posts as persuasive or non-persuasive on the basis of lexical features in the text and the tactics (as provided by human annotators). Annotated tactics provide substantial assistance in classifying persuasion, particularly tactics indicating formal reasoning, deontic obligation, and discussions of possible outcomes, suggesting that learning to identify tactics may be an excellent first step to detecting attempts to persuade.
Speech Acts of Argumentation: Inference Anchors and Peripheral Cues in Dialogue
Budzynska, Katarzyna (Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University, Warsaw) | Reed, Chris (University of Dundee)
It is well known that argumentation can usefully be analysed as a distinct, if complex, type of speech act. Speech acts that form a part of argumentative discourse, and in particular, of argumentative dialogue, can be seen as anchors for the establishment of inferences between propositions in the domain of discourse. Most often, the speech acts that directly give rise to inference are implicit, but can be drawn out in analysis by consideration of the type of dialogue game being played. AI approaches to argumentation often focus solely on such inferences as the means by which persuasion can be effected – but this is in contrast with psychological and rhetorical models which have long recognised the role played by extra-logical features of the dialogical context. These ‘peripheral’ cues can not only affect persuasive effect of the logical, ‘central’ argumentation, but can override and dominate it. This paper presents a theory which allows both central and peripheral aspects of argumentation to be represented in a coherent analytical account based on the sequences of speech acts which constitute dialogues.
Decision Support through Argumentation-Based Practical Reasoning
Cerutti, Federico (University of Brescia)
To encompass them, several extensions of Dung's argumentation framework (AF) [Dung, This extended research abstract describes an 1995] have been proposed, but the most general, as shown in argumentation-based approach to modelling articulated [Baroni et al., 2011], is the Argumentation Framework with decision making contexts. The approach Recursive Attacks (AF RA) formalism [Baroni et al., 2009b; encompasses a variety of argument and attack 2011]. In[Baroni et al., 2009a; 2010b] we showed how to organise schemes aimed at representing basic knowledge arguments that are instances of argument schemes in and reasoning patterns for decision support.