Avoiding misconstruals in database systems: a default logic approach

A cooperative interface that, using suitable user models, alters the processing of the user´s queries to include additional information that will block faulty inferences is described. In a sense, the interface actively teaches the user facts about the database not explicitly asked for. User interaction with the database then becomes a learning and discovery process guided by the queries posed to the interface. A semantics for user models is introduced that captures, with the help of default logic, the nonmonotonic behavior users normally exhibit. Results showing that the cooperative interface generates enough additional information to block all faulty inferences are presented