2009 IEEE International Conference on
Systems, Man, and Cybernetics |
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Abstract
Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution which aims at assisting disputants in reaching an agreement on a disputed matter. Debate ensues on what skills an individual needs to play a mediator's role effectively. Education and training for mediators become complex issues. Then how can mediator's skills be trained in spite that the skills can not be defined clearly? In cognitive science visualization of and reflection on one's behavior is proven effective in such a situation. In this paper we explore a text processing method for reflective visualization of a dialogue. The dialogue is a time sequence of utterances from a mediator and disputants. The method visualizes an inter-topic association which foreshadows the intentional or unintentional subsequent development of topics indicated by temporal topics clusters far apart in time. The method is applied to a mediation case where a dispute between a seller and a buyer on cancelling an purchase transaction at an online auction site is resolved.