Cognitive Processes in Planning

Barbara Hayes-Roth, Frederick Hayes-Roth

ResearchPublished 1978

Proposes a model of the planning process. Planning is the predetermination of a course of action aimed at achieving a goal. The model assumes that planning comprises activities of a variety of cognitive "specialists." Each specialist can suggest certain kinds of decisions for incorporation into the plan. These include decisions about: (1) how to approach the planning problem; (2) what knowledge bears on the problem; (3) what kinds of actions to try to plan; (4) what specific actions to plan; and (5) how to allocate cognitive resources during planning. Within each category, different specialists suggest decisions at different levels of abstraction. The activities of various specialists are not coordinated in any systematic way. Instead, the specialists operate opportunistically, suggesting decisions whenever promising opportunities arise. The authors present a detailed account of the model and illustrate its assumptions with a "thinking-aloud" protocol. They also contrast it with earlier models of planning and discuss implications for future research.

Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Web Only
  • Year: 1978
  • Pages: 58
  • Document Number: R-2366-ONR

Citation

Chicago Manual of Style

Hayes-Roth, Barbara and Frederick Hayes-Roth, Cognitive Processes in Planning. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1978. https://www.rand.org/pubs/reports/R2366.html.
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