Accepted papers


These papers are accepted for presentation:

Author(s): Johan Boye and Mats Wirén
Contact Email: johan.boye@teliasonera.com
Affiliation: TeliaSonera
Title: Negotiative Spoken-Dialogue Interfaces to Databases

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to develop a principled and empirically motivated approach to robust, negotiative spoken dialogue with databases. Robustness is achieved by limiting the set of representable utterance types. Still, the vast majority of utterances that occur in practice can be handled.
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Author(s): Sarah Brown-Schmidt & Michael K. Tanenhaus
Contact Email: sschmidt@bcs.rochester.edu
Affiliation: Dept of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, NY
Title: Referential domains and the interpretation of referring expressions in interactive conversation

Abstract: Referring expressions are typically interpreted with respect to contextually defined referential domains. Research in highly controlled, non-interactive settings demonstrates that factors such as the preceding adjectives (Sedivy, et al. 1999; 2003) and verbs (Altmann & Kamide, 1999), as well as common ground information (Hanna, Tanenhaus & Trueswell, in press) can restrict the domain of interpretation of a referring expression. However, the way in which these factors might arise in natural conversation is less well understood. We present data from two experiments that investigated the production and interpretation of referring expressions in an interactive task-based dialog between two naive participants. The first experiment shows that referential domains can be quite restricted and closely aligned between interlocutors, and that this alignment of domains is the result of task-based factors. The second experiment demonstrates that when speakers explicitly specify the referential domain, that listeners quickly interpret the following referring expressions without interference from other competing referents from outside the domain.
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Author(s): Francis Corblin
Contact Email: Francis.Corblin@paris4.sorbonne.fr
Affiliation: Paris-Sorbonne University & Institut Jean Nicod CNRS
Title: Presuppositions and commitment stores

Abstract: In this paper, the classical question of presupposition projection is revisited in a dynamic approach to dialog using Hamblin (1970) commitment stores. Presuppositions are analyzed as selectional restrictions of lexical item triggering background commitments of the user. The classical notions of plugs and filters, are reconsidered in this perspective and new solutions to problems like intermediate accommodation in quantified structures are introduced.
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Author(s): Marina Castagneto, Giacomo Ferrari
Contact Email: ferrari@lett.unipmn.it
Affiliation: Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici, Univerità del Piemonte Orientale
Title: Influence of regional features on Map-Task dialogues

Abstract: In this paper Map Task dialogues collected in different regions of Italy are compared and some differences in the interaction styles are highlighted and discussed, especially under the point of view of considerateness and involvement. The impact of the recognised regional features on the model of dialogue is stressed.
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Author(s): Joris Hulstijn
Contact Email: jorish@cs.uu.nl
Affiliation: Institute of Information and Computing Sciences, Utrecht University
Title: Roles in Dialogue

Abstract: A dialogue game determines what dialogue moves are allowed for each participant. Crucial to the definition of a dialogue game are the roles of the participants. In this paper we investigate social roles in dialogue. We present a formalisation of role related requirements to be used in the specification of human-computer interfaces and interaction between artificial agents.
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Author(s): Rodger Kibble
Contact Email: r.kibble@gold.ac.uk
Affiliation: Goldsmiths College, University of London
Title: Towards the Elimination of Centering Theory

Abstract: Centering Theory claims that "coherent" transitions are easier for hearers to process; some researchers claim CT is reducible to general communicative principles. Discussions of "processing load" tend to overlook speaker and hearer tasks such as planning and discourse modelling. We review some "bidirectional" approaches and propose a game-theoretic framework allowing for both perspectives to be modelled.
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Author(s): Jörn Kreutel and William Mann
Contact Email: joern.kreutel@semanticedge.com
Affiliation: SemanticEdge GmbH
Title: Discourse Obligations and Dialogue Macrogame Theory: An Exploratory Analysis

Abstract: We focus on a class of utterances that can be analysed as 'explicit game bids' in Dialogue Macrogame Theory (DMT). We propose an update semantics analysis that uses discourse obligations to model the observable behaviour of dialogue participants and that is able to generate the intentional structure of interactions assumed in DMT. We claim that our analysis provides the base for reformulating some key aspects of 'illocutionary force' in terms of 'bidding'.
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Author(s): Frédéric Landragin and Laurent Romary
Contact Email: Frederic.Landragin@loria.fr
Affiliation: LORIA, campus scientifique, BP 239, F-54506 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy CEDEX, FRANCE
Title: Referring to Objects Through Sub-Contexts in Multimodal Human-Computer Interaction

Abstract: There is no one-to-one relation between referential terms and types of access to the referents (referring modes) in multimodal interaction. We propose a classification of referring modes. We define a relation between terms and modes, and we deduce a list of disambiguation principles for the computation of referential terms.
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Author(s): Staffan Larsson
Contact Email: sl@ling.gu.se
Affiliation: Department of Linguistics, Göteborg University
Title: Interactive communication management in an issue-based dialogue system

Abstract: We first give an overview of ICM, and especially feedback, in human-human communication. We then select a limited range of ICM behaviour useful for dialogue systems, and show how these utterances and responses to them are managed in a dialogue system implementing a theory of issue-based dialogue management
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Author(s): Henk-Jan Lebbink, Cilia Witteman, John-Jules Meyer
Contact Email: henkjan@cs.uu.nl
Affiliation: Utrecht University
Title: A Dialogue Game to Agree to Disagree about Inconsistent Information

Abstract: A dialogue game is presented in which coherent conversational sequences at the speech act level are described of agents that become aware that they have insufficient justifications to persuade other agents and that `settle' the dispute by agreeing to disagree. An existing information-monotonic dialogue game that can cope with inconsistent cognitive states is extended with dialogue rules that define the semantics of the communicative act to `agree to disagree'.
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Author(s): Bernd Ludwig, Günther Görz, Alexander Huber, Peter Reiss
Contact Email: bernd.ludwig@immd5-wv.informatik.uni-erlangen.de
Affiliation: University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Computer Science Institute
Title: Combining the Practical Syllogism and Planning in Dialogue

Abstract: The paper presents a dialogue model which relates discourse relations and intentions by reasoning about pragmatic capabilities of dialogue particpants. For that purpose, planning approaches for discourse and application domain are employed. In this way, a computationally tractable version of the pratical syllogism is devised.
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Author(s): Emar Maier, Rob van der Sandt
Contact Email: e.maier@phil.kun.nl
Affiliation: University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Title: Denial and correction in layered DRT

Abstract: We will first implement van der Sandt's (1991) uniform theory of denials in DRT by using reverse anaphora, and then solve the main objection to that theory by using Layered DRT. LDRT is an extension to DRT that allows us to represent and interpret the various types of discourse information in different layers of a DRS, so we will be able to define directed reverse anaphora; deleting only some offensive layers.
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Author(s): Norbert Pfleger and Ralf Engel and Jan Alexandersson
Contact Email: janal@dfki.de
Affiliation: DFKI Saarbruecken
Title: Robust Multimodal Discourse Processing

Abstract: Providing a generic and robust foundation for the correct processing of short utterances is vital for the success of a multimodal dialogue system. We argue that our approach based on a three-tiered discourse structure in combination with partitions provide a good basis for meeting the requirements in such a system. We present a detailed description of the underlying representation together with some show cases.
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Author(s): Matthew Purver, Raquel Fernandez
Contact Email: matthew.purver@kcl.ac.uk
Affiliation: Department of Computer Science, King's College London
Title: Utterances as Update Instructions

Abstract: The paper views utterances and their sub-constituents as instructions for information state update: programs in a dynamic logic defined with respect to the dialogue gameboard of (Ginzburg, 1996; Fernandez, 2003). Their contextual effects are therefore represented as part of their content, rather than as separate update rules. As each sub-utterance has its own effect, we can incorporate the insights of dynamic semantics and define a simple approach to grounding and clarification.
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Author(s): Candace L. Sidner, Christopher Lee and Neal Lesh
Contact Email: sidner@merl.com
Affiliation: Mitsubishi Electric Research Labs
Title: Engagement by Looking: Behaviors for Robots When Collaborating with People

Abstract: This paper reports on research on developing the ability for robots to engage with humans in a collaborative conversation for hosting activities. It defines the engagement process in collaborative conversation. The paper then presents the analysis of a study of human-human “look tracking” and discusses rules that will allow a robot to track humans so that engagement is maintained. engagement, conversation, collaboration, gestures in conversation.
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Author(s): Matthew Stone, Richmond H. Thomason
Contact Email: rich@thomason.org
Affiliation: University of Nichigan
Title: Coordinating Understanding and Generation in an Abductive Approach to Interpretation

Abstract: We characterize interpretation as an abductive proof that explains how an utterance can update the context. In this framework, generation and understanding coordinate by constructing the same proofs using the same shared background and systematically corresponding preferences. We illustrate with a formal analysis of English referring expressions.
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Author(s): Kavita Thomas and Colin Matheson
Contact Email: kavitat@cogsci.ed.ac.uk, colin@cogsci.ed.ac.uk
Affiliation: University of Edinburgh
Title: Modelling Concession Across Speakers in Task-Oriented Dialogue

Abstract: We determine criteria for modelling plan-based "but'' in task-oriented dialogue, following work by Lagerwerf (1998) and focusing on cases in which it signals concession and denial of expectation. We present algorithms to address plan-based "but'' in an Information State model of dialogue that predicts which interpretations to generate.
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Author(s): Katsuhiko Yabushita
Contact Email: yabuchan@naruto-u.ac.jp
Affiliation: Naruto University of Education
Title: Topicality in the Semantics and Pragmatics of Questions and Answers, Evidence for a File-Like Structure of Information States

Abstract: Topicality has been paid little attention to in stark contrast to focus in the literature of the semantics and pragmatics of questions and answers. In this work, we will examine a phenomenon that demonstrates the relevance of topicality, and propose a formal analysis of the phenomenon. The analysis will be argued to give evidence for a file-like structure of information states.
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Author(s): Henk Zeevat
Contact Email: henk@hum.uva.nl
Affiliation: Universiteit van Amsterdam
Title: The Syntax Semantics Interface of Speech Act Markers

Abstract: The paper proposes a semantics for speech acts as a generalisation of update semantics and an account of the meaning of speech act markers where they are default resetting devices. The speech act marker works on specific parameters of a given speech act and defines new valus for them
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This paper is accepted as a reserve paper:

Author(s): Philippe Muller and Laurent Prévot
Contact Email: muller@irit.fr
Affiliation: IRIT-CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
Title: An empirical study of acknowledgement structures

Abstract: The subject of our study is acknowledgements in dialogues, and how they are related to the dynamics of settled information in a conversation. We want to show here how they can be accounted for in a structural theory for representing dialogue. In that perspective we have studied the role and influence of several markers of agreement in a french corpus of direction-giving dialogues.
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