Towards a Computational Model for the Semantics of Why-Questions

This paper discusses aspects of a computational model for the semantics of why-questions which are relevant to the implementation of an explanation component in a natural language dialogue system. After a brief survey of all of the explanation components which have been implemented to date, some of the distinguishing features of the explanation component designed and implemented by the author are listed. In the first part of the paper the major types of signals which, like the word whV, can be used to set the explanation component into action are listed, and some ways of recognizing them automatically are considered. In addition to these linguistic signals, communicative and cognitive conditions which can have the same effect are discussed. In the second part the various schemata.for argumentative dialogue sequences which can be handled by the explanation component in question are examined, Particular attention is paid to problems arising in connection with the iteration of why-questions and the verbalization of multiple justifications. Finally schemata for metacommunicative why-questions and for why-questions asked by the user are investigated.

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