Ebook: User Models in Dialog Systems

User models have recently attracted much research interest in the field of artificial intelligence dialog systems. It has become evident that flexible user-oriented dialog behavior of such systems can be achieved only if the system has access to a model of the user containing assumptions about his/her background knowledge as well as his/her goals and plans in consulting the system. Research in the field of user models investigates how such assumptions can be automatically created, represented and exploited by the system in the course of an "on-line" interaction with the user. The communication medium in this interaction need not necessarily be a natural language, such as English or German. Formal interaction languages are also permit­ ted. The emphasis is placed on systems with natural language input and output, however. A dozen major and several more minor user modeling systems have been de­ signed and implemented in the last decade, mostly in the context of natural-language dialog systems. The goal of UM86, the first international workshop on user model­ ing, was to bring together the researchers working on these projects so that results could be discussed and analyzed, and hopefully general insights be found, that could prove useful for future research. The meeting took place in Maria Laach, a small village some 40 miles south of Bonn, West Germany. 25 prominent researchers were invited to participate.

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User models have recently attracted much research interest in the field of artificial intelligence dialog systems. It has become evident that a flexible user-oriented dialog behavior of such systems can be realized only if the system disposes of a model of the user, containing assumptions about the user`s background knowledge as well as the user`s goals and plans in consulting the system. Research in the field of user models investigates how such assumptions can be automatically created, represented and exploited by the system in the course of an interaction with the user. This volume is the first survey pertaining to the field of user modeling. Most of the prominent international researchers in this area have contributed to this volume. Their papers are grouped into four sections: The introductory section contains a general view of the field as a whole, and a number of surveys of specific problems and techniques in user modeling. Sections two and three describe eight user modeling systems, with the focus lying on the automatic creation and exploitation of assumptions about the user respectively. The final section discusses several limits of current systems, and proposes solutions as to how some of the shortcomings might be overcome. In order to increase the quality and the coherency of the volume, each paper has been reviewed by all other contributors. Cross-references have been integrated wherever appropriate. All contributions are introduced in editorial prefaces pertaining to each section. A subject index and an extensive bibliography supplement the book.

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User models have recently attracted much research interest in the field of artificial intelligence dialog systems. It has become evident that a flexible user-oriented dialog behavior of such systems can be realized only if the system disposes of a model of the user, containing assumptions about the user`s background knowledge as well as the user`s goals and plans in consulting the system. Research in the field of user models investigates how such assumptions can be automatically created, represented and exploited by the system in the course of an interaction with the user. This volume is the first survey pertaining to the field of user modeling. Most of the prominent international researchers in this area have contributed to this volume. Their papers are grouped into four sections: The introductory section contains a general view of the field as a whole, and a number of surveys of specific problems and techniques in user modeling. Sections two and three describe eight user modeling systems, with the focus lying on the automatic creation and exploitation of assumptions about the user respectively. The final section discusses several limits of current systems, and proposes solutions as to how some of the shortcomings might be overcome. In order to increase the quality and the coherency of the volume, each paper has been reviewed by all other contributors. Cross-references have been integrated wherever appropriate. All contributions are introduced in editorial prefaces pertaining to each section. A subject index and an extensive bibliography supplement the book.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-XI
Front Matter....Pages 1-3
User Models in Dialog Systems....Pages 4-34
Stereotypes and User Modeling....Pages 35-51
A Taxonomy of Beliefs and Goals for User Models in Dialog Systems....Pages 52-68
Front Matter....Pages 69-73
KNOME: Modeling What the User Knows in UC....Pages 74-107
Detecting and Responding to Plan-Oriented Misconceptions....Pages 108-132
Plan Recognition and Its Use in Understanding Dialog....Pages 133-162
Learning the User’s Language: A Step Towards Automated Creation of User Models....Pages 163-194
Front Matter....Pages 195-199
The Use of Explicit User Models in a Generation System for Tailoring Answers to the User’s Level of Expertise....Pages 200-232
Highlighting a User Model to Respond to Misconceptions....Pages 233-254
But What Will the Listener Think? Belief Ascription and Image Maintenance in Dialog....Pages 255-312
Incorporating User Models into Expert Systems for Educational Diagnosis....Pages 313-333
Front Matter....Pages 335-340
Realism About User Modeling....Pages 341-363
User Models and Conversational Settings: Modeling the User’s Wants....Pages 364-385
Student Modeling in Intelligent Tutoring Systems — Implications for User Modeling....Pages 386-410
GUMS — A General User Modeling Shell....Pages 411-430
Back Matter....Pages 431-474

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User models have recently attracted much research interest in the field of artificial intelligence dialog systems. It has become evident that a flexible user-oriented dialog behavior of such systems can be realized only if the system disposes of a model of the user, containing assumptions about the user`s background knowledge as well as the user`s goals and plans in consulting the system. Research in the field of user models investigates how such assumptions can be automatically created, represented and exploited by the system in the course of an interaction with the user. This volume is the first survey pertaining to the field of user modeling. Most of the prominent international researchers in this area have contributed to this volume. Their papers are grouped into four sections: The introductory section contains a general view of the field as a whole, and a number of surveys of specific problems and techniques in user modeling. Sections two and three describe eight user modeling systems, with the focus lying on the automatic creation and exploitation of assumptions about the user respectively. The final section discusses several limits of current systems, and proposes solutions as to how some of the shortcomings might be overcome. In order to increase the quality and the coherency of the volume, each paper has been reviewed by all other contributors. Cross-references have been integrated wherever appropriate. All contributions are introduced in editorial prefaces pertaining to each section. A subject index and an extensive bibliography supplement the book.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-XI
Front Matter....Pages 1-3
User Models in Dialog Systems....Pages 4-34
Stereotypes and User Modeling....Pages 35-51
A Taxonomy of Beliefs and Goals for User Models in Dialog Systems....Pages 52-68
Front Matter....Pages 69-73
KNOME: Modeling What the User Knows in UC....Pages 74-107
Detecting and Responding to Plan-Oriented Misconceptions....Pages 108-132
Plan Recognition and Its Use in Understanding Dialog....Pages 133-162
Learning the User’s Language: A Step Towards Automated Creation of User Models....Pages 163-194
Front Matter....Pages 195-199
The Use of Explicit User Models in a Generation System for Tailoring Answers to the User’s Level of Expertise....Pages 200-232
Highlighting a User Model to Respond to Misconceptions....Pages 233-254
But What Will the Listener Think? Belief Ascription and Image Maintenance in Dialog....Pages 255-312
Incorporating User Models into Expert Systems for Educational Diagnosis....Pages 313-333
Front Matter....Pages 335-340
Realism About User Modeling....Pages 341-363
User Models and Conversational Settings: Modeling the User’s Wants....Pages 364-385
Student Modeling in Intelligent Tutoring Systems — Implications for User Modeling....Pages 386-410
GUMS — A General User Modeling Shell....Pages 411-430
Back Matter....Pages 431-474
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