Reasoning about Interest-Based Preferences

Abstract

In decision making, negotiation, and other kinds of practical reasoning, it is necessary to model preferences over possible outcomes. Such preferences usually depend on multiple criteria. We argue that the criteria by which outcomes are evaluated should be the satisfaction of a person's underlying interests: the more an outcome satisfies his interests, the more preferred it is. Underlying interests can explain and eliminate conditional preferences. Also, modelling interests will create a better model of human preferences, and can lead to better, more creative deals in negotiation. We present an argumentation framework for reasoning about interest-based preferences. We take a qualitative approach and provide the means to derive both ceteris paribus and lexicographic preferences. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013.