Ordering Relations in Human and Machine Planning

Abstract

Analytical results from AI planning research provide the motivation for this experimental study of ordering relationships in human planning. We examine timings of humans performing specific tasks from the AI planning literature and present evidence that normal human planners, like state of the art AI planning systems, use partial-order plan representations. We also describe ongoing experiments that are designed to shed light on the plan representations used by children and by adults with planning deficits due to brain damage. Several points of interest for collaboration between AI scientists and neuropsychologists are noted, as are impacts that we feel this research may have on future work in AI planning.