More Attention and Less Repetitive and Stereotyped Behaviors using a Robot with Children with Autism

in 27th IEEE International Symposium on Robot and Human Interactive Communication, RO-MAN 2018, Nanjing, China, August 27-31, 2018 (2018)

The aim of the present study was to assess the usefulness of QTrobot, a socially assistive robot, in interventions with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by assessing children's attention ... [more ▼]

The aim of the present study was to assess the usefulness of QTrobot, a socially assistive robot, in interventions with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by assessing children's attention, imitation, and presence of repetitive and stereotyped behaviors. Fifteen children diagnosed with ASD, aged from 4 to 14 years participated in two short interactions, one with a person and one with the robot. Statistical analyses revealed that children directed more attention towards the robot than towards the person, imitated the robot as much as the person, and engaged in fewer repetitive or stereotyped behaviors with the robot than with the person. These results support previous research demonstrating the usefulness of robots in short interactions with children with ASD and provide new evidence to the usefulness of robots in reducing repetitive and stereotyped behaviors in children with ASD, which can affect children's learning. [less ▲]

Abstract and Concrete Decision Graphs for Choosing Extensions of Argumentation Frameworks - Technical Report

Report (2018)

Most argumentation semantics allow for multiple extensions, which raises the question of how to choose among extensions. We propose to study this question as a decision problem. Inspired by decision trees ... [more ▼]

Most argumentation semantics allow for multiple extensions, which raises the question of how to choose among extensions. We propose to study this question as a decision problem. Inspired by decision trees commonly used in economics, we introduce the notion of a decision graph for deciding between the multiple extensions of a given AF in a given semantics. We distinguish between abstract decision graphs and concrete instantiations thereof. Inspired by the principle-based approach to argumentation, we formulate two principles that mappings from argumentation frameworks to decision graphs should satisfy, the principle of decision-graph directionality and the one of directional decision-making. We then propose a concrete instantiation of decision graphs, which satisfies one of these principles. Finally, we discuss the potential for further research based on this novel methodology. [less ▲]

Probabilistic Abstract Argumentation Based on SCC Decomposability

in Principles of Knowledge Representation and Reasoning: Proceedings of the Sixteenth International Conference, KR 2018, Tempe, Arizona 30 October - 2 November 2018. (2018)

In this paper we introduce a new set of general principles for probabilistic abstract argumentation. The main principle is a probabilistic analogue of SCC decomposability, which ensures that the ... [more ▼]

In this paper we introduce a new set of general principles for probabilistic abstract argumentation. The main principle is a probabilistic analogue of SCC decomposability, which ensures that the probabilistic evaluation of an argumentation framework complies with the probabilistic (in)dependencies implied by the graph topology. We introduce various examples of probabilistic semantics and determine which principles they satisfy. Our work also provides new insights into the relationship between abstract argumentation and the theory of Bayesian networks. [less ▲]

A Deontic Logic Reasoning Infrastructure

in Sailing Routes in the World of Computation, 14th Conference on Computability in Europe, CiE 2018, Kiel, Germany, July 30 – August 3, 2018, Proceedings (2018)

A flexible infrastructure for the automation of deontic and normative reasoning is presented. Our motivation is the development, study and provision of legal and moral reasoning competencies in future ... [more ▼]

A flexible infrastructure for the automation of deontic and normative reasoning is presented. Our motivation is the development, study and provision of legal and moral reasoning competencies in future intelligent machines. Since there is no consensus on the “best” deontic logic formalisms and since the answer may be application specific, a flexible infrastructure is proposed in which candidate logic formalisms can be varied, assessed and compared in experimental ethics application studies. Our work thus links the historically rich research areas of classical higher-order logic, deontic logics, normative reasoning and formal ethics. [less ▲]

Abstract and Concrete Decision Graphs for Choosing Extensions of Argumentation Frameworks

in Computational Models of Argument (2018)

Most argumentation semantics allow for multiple extensions, which raises the question of how to choose among extensions. We propose to study this question as a decision problem. Inspired by decision trees ... [more ▼]

Most argumentation semantics allow for multiple extensions, which raises the question of how to choose among extensions. We propose to study this question as a decision problem. Inspired by decision trees commonly used in economics, we introduce the notion of a decision graph for deciding between the multiple extensions of a given AF in a given semantics. We distinguish between abstract decision graphs and concrete instantiations thereof. Inspired by the principle-based approach to argumentation, we formulate two principles that mappings from argumentation frameworks to decision graphs should satisfy, the principles of decision-graph directionality and that of directional decision-making. We then propose a concrete instantiation of decision graphs, which satisfies one of these principles. Finally, we discuss the potential for further research based on this novel methodology. [less ▲]

Multiagent Deontic Logic and its Challenges from a Normative Systems Perspective

in IfCoLog Journal of Logics and Their Applications (2017)

This article gives an overview of several challenges studied in deontic logic, with an emphasis on challenges involving agents. We start with traditional modal deontic logic using preferences to address ... [more ▼]

This article gives an overview of several challenges studied in deontic logic, with an emphasis on challenges involving agents. We start with traditional modal deontic logic using preferences to address the challenge of contrary-toduty reasoning, and STIT theory addressing the challenges of non-deterministic actions, moral luck and procrastination. Then we turn to alternative normbased deontic logics detaching obligations from norms to address the challenge of Jørgensen’s dilemma, including the question how to derive obligations from a normative system when agents cannot assume that other agents comply with their norms. We discuss also some traditional challenges from the viewpoint of normative systems: when a set of norms may be termed ‘coherent’, how to deal with normative conflicts, how to combine normative systems and traditional deontic logic, how various kinds of permission can be accommodated, how meaning postulates and counts-as conditionals can be taken into account,how sets of norms may be revised and merged, and how normative systems can be combined with game theory. The normative systems perspective means that norms, not ideality or preference, should take the central position in deontic semantics, and that a semantics that represents norms explicitly provides a helpful tool for analysing, clarifying and solving the problems of deontic logic. We focus on the challenges rather than trying to give full coverage of related work, for which we refer to the handbook of deontic logic and normative systems. [less ▲]

The pragmatic oddity in a norm-based semantics

in Governatori, Guido (Ed.) 16th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence & Law (ICAIL-17) (2017, June)

The ideal worlds of a possible worlds semantics may satisfy both a primary obligation and an associated secondary obligation, for example the obligation to keep a promise and the obligation to apologise ... [more ▼]

The ideal worlds of a possible worlds semantics may satisfy both a primary obligation and an associated secondary obligation, for example the obligation to keep a promise and the obligation to apologise for not keeping it. This is known as the pragmatic oddity introduced by Prakken and Sergot. We argue that an adequate treatment of the pragmatic oddity within a norm-based semantics can be obtained, by not allowing primary and secondary obligations to aggregate, because they are obligations of a di erent kind. On the basis of this conceptual analysis, we introduce two logics, depending on the stance taken on the representation of normative con icts, and we present sound and complete proof systems for these logics. We then give a formal analysis, discuss extensions, and highlight various topics for further research. [less ▲]

Commitments and interaction norms in organisations

in Autonomous Agents & Multi-Agent Systems (2017), 31(2), 207-249

In an organisational setting such as an online marketplace, an entity called the ‘organisation’ or ‘institution’ defines interaction protocols, monitors agent interaction, and intervenes to enforce the ... [more ▼]

In an organisational setting such as an online marketplace, an entity called the ‘organisation’ or ‘institution’ defines interaction protocols, monitors agent interaction, and intervenes to enforce the interaction protocols. The organisation might be a software system that thus regulates the marketplace, for example. In this article we abstract over application-specific protocols and consider commitment lifecycles as generic interaction protocols. We model interaction protocols by explicitly-represented norms, such that we can operationalise the enforcement of protocols by means of norm enforcement, and we can analyse the protocols by a logical analysis of the norms. We adopt insights and methods from commitment-based approaches to agent interaction as well as from norm-based approaches to agent behaviour governance. First, we show how to use explicitly-represented norms to model commitment dynamics (lifecycles). Second, we introduce an operational semantics to operationalise norm enforcement. Third, we show how to logically analyse interaction protocols by means of commitment dynamics and norm enforcement. The model, semantics, and analysis are illustrated by a running example from a vehicle insurance domain. [less ▲]

A partial taxonomy of judgment aggregation rules and their properties

in Social Choice and Welfare (2017), 48(2), 327--356

The literature on judgment aggregation is moving from studying impossibility results regarding aggregation rules towards studying specific judgment aggregation rules. Here we give a structured list of ... [more ▼]

The literature on judgment aggregation is moving from studying impossibility results regarding aggregation rules towards studying specific judgment aggregation rules. Here we give a structured list of most rules that have been proposed and studied recently in the literature, together with various properties of such rules. We first focus on the majority-preservation property, which generalizes Condorcet-consistency, and identify which of the rules satisfy it. We study the inclusion relationships that hold between the rules. Finally, we consider two forms of unanimity, monotonicity, homogeneity, and reinforcement, and we identify which of the rules satisfy these properties. [less ▲]

Rational Enterprise Architecture

in Advances in Artificial Intelligence: From Theory to Practice - 30th International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Other Applications of Applied Intelligent Systems, IEA/AIE 2017, Arras, France, June 27-30, 2017, Proceedings, Part I (2017)

We are interested in formal foundations for enterprise decision support. In this perspective, enterprise architecture is characterised by highly uncertain plans in a changing environment, and translates ... [more ▼]

We are interested in formal foundations for enterprise decision support. In this perspective, enterprise architecture is characterised by highly uncertain plans in a changing environment, and translates strategic goals into an IT strategy. Typically there are a large number of stakeholders with conflicting views, communicating plans of action, and explaining decisions instead of making them. An enterprise architecture considers qualitative before quantitative data, has stronger business focus than other disciplines, and politics, emotions, and soft skills play a bigger role than in other areas. We view a plan abstractly as a sequence of commitments in time, and each commitment in the plan may come with a number of underlying assumptions. If these underlying assumptions change, then parts of the plan may require revision, which in turn may invalidate other parts of the plan, and so on. Therefore, assumptions have an inherently non-monotonic character: they are assumed to be true, unless it becomes clear they are false. This is related to the resource-boundedness of enterprise architecture: an enterprise architect cannot always know all of the assumptions, especially for long term plans. [less ▲]