Planning as a Process of Synthesis.
Abstract
This report describes a theoretical framework for investigating human planning behavior and presents the results of two experiments in the domain of software design. A plan is defined as a hierarchical structure that underlies the solution to a problem; planning is the process of constructing this structure. This framework assumes that: a plan is a series of abstractions of the final solution, ranging from schematic, high-level plans to detailed plans that are actually transformed into a solution to the problem; a plan is constructed by a process similar to stepwise refinement; planning involves the utilization of previously learned schemata; various components of the plan, or even the entire plan, can be retrieved from long-term memory and incorporated into a solution to the problem; and planning involves the synthesis of many types of knowledge structures. Our experimental results indicate that completed plans can be characterized as procedural nets, but that plan structures can be constructed in a variety of ways. Further, expert subjects differ from less experienced subjects in the knowledge structures that can be retrieved from long-term memory and incorporated into a plan. The implications of these results on our theoretical framework and for future research are discussed.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1978
- Accession Number
- ADA064334
Entities
People
- H. Rudy Ramsey
- Michael E. Atwood
- Peter G. Polson
- Robin Jeffries