What Are You Asking?Clarifying the Ambiguity of

Open-ended Questions

Cameron Bosinski

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Definition

Questions are speech acts that identify gaps in information and request information to fill it

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Quibbles• The example, as stated, is not a question.

o Please move your…

• But these variations are.o Can you move your…?o Will you move your…?

• This could be either a question or a command.o Why don't you move your... (Command)o Why didn't you move your...? (Question)

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What’s the Difference?

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Information vs. Action• Information

o Description of an entity

• Actiono Movement of an entity

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Prior Work

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Types of QuestionsBy Intent• Knowledge:

o Describe . . . ?• Comprehension:

o Retell . . . • Application:

o Why is . . . significant?• Analysis:

o What are the parts or features of . . . ? • Synthesis:

o What would you infer from . . . ? • Evaluation:

o Do you agree that . . . ?

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Types of QuestionsBy Grammatical Form• Yes-No

o Is… this thing on?o Do… aliens exist?o Could… that actually happen?o Would… you like to dance?o Should… I stay?

• Alternativeo Which… way is faster?

• Wh-Type (Open-Ended)o Who/what/where/when/how/why

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My Work

Open-Ended Questions

Definition

Interpretation occurs whenmultiple mutually exclusive answers

can correctly answer the same question

ContinuantsWhat is it?

What is the site?What is the color?What is the size?

ContinuantsWho is it?

NameWho is the professor?Who is the doctor?Who is the lawyer?

ContinuantsWhere is it?

Where are you? (Stationary Site)In Buffalo

Where is your pain? (Mobile Site)My arm

ContinuantsHow is it?

How was the trip? (Quality)Good

How much did it cost? (Quantity)$100

ContinuantsWhy is it?

Why is exercise healthy? (Explanation)Because it strengthens your heart

OccurrentsWhat was done?

What was taken?What was finished?What was bought?

OccurrentsWho did it?

Who is teaching the class? (Person)Professor

Who ate the banana? (Agent)Monkey

OccurrentsWhere did it happen?

Where did the trip start? (Site)NYC

OccurrentsWhen did it happen?

When does class start? (Time)4pm

When does a neuron fire? (Requirements)Above the threshold potential

OccurrentsHow did it happen?

How did you get here? (Process)By car

How do I get to the library? (Steps)Turn left, go straight, its the second door

How did the fire start? (Cause)Faculty electrical wiring

OccurrentsWhy did it happen?

Why did you take this class? (Expectation)To learn about ontologies

Why do you exercise? (Reason)Because someone told me that it is healthy

PropertiesPurposeful

Application

Universals vs. Instances

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ContinuantsUniversals vs. Instances

• Universal Continuanto What is it?

• Instance Continuanto Who is it?o When is it?o Where is it?o How is it?o Why is it?

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ContinuantsUniversals vs. Instances

• Neurono What is it?

• This neurono Who is it?o When is it?o Where is it mobile?o Where is it stationary? o How is the (quality) of it? o Why is it (quality)?

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ContinuantsUniversals vs. Instances

• Neurono What is the neuron?

• This neurono Who is the neuron? o When is this neuron?o Where is this neuron mobile?o Where is this neuron stationary? o How is the growth of this neuron? o Why is this neuron dead?

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ContinuantsUniversals vs. Instances

• Neurono A cell that releases neurotransmitters

• This neurono N/Ao N/Ao In dish #45o In a lab at UBo It could be worseo Because it was infected with rabies virus

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OccurrentsUniversals vs. Instances

• Universal Occurrento What is it?

• Instance Occurrento Where did it happen?

o When did it happen?

o How did it happen?

o Who made it happen?• Why did it happen?

.

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OccurrentsUniversals vs. Instances

• Transcriptiono What is it?

• This transcriptiono Where did it happen stationary?o Where did it happen mobile? o What time did it happen?o What must happen before this happens?o What is the process by which it happens?o What caused it to happen?o What are the steps when it happens?o Who made it happen?

• What was the expected outcome?• What was the reason it happened?

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OccurrentsUniversals vs. Instances

• Transcriptiono Cellular process

• This transcriptiono Buffalo, NYo Nucleus of Pancreas cell #439o 4pmo Presence of ATP, DNA, RNA monomers and Enzymeso ATP hydrolysiso Binding of transcription factor to DNAo 1. Transcription factor binding 2. Recruitment of Enzymes 3…o ???

• Increased production of insulin mRNA• Because the body needed insulin

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What about the Answers?

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Types of AnswersDoes it or Doesn’t it?

Only One vs. More than OneHow many?

Relative vs. Absolute AnswerCompared to what?/How much?

Always vs. SometimesDefined class

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Future Directions• Experimentation

o Family Feud?

• Continuants and Occurrentso Where and When?