Skip to main content

Abstract

We consider aggregation of multiple criteria evaluations expressed on qualitative ordinal scales, which means representation of multiple criteria preferences using finite sets of values, such as “bad”, “medium”, “good”, or “weak”, “normal”, “strong”. The evaluation scales regarding single criteria, as well as comprehensive evaluations, are qualitative. Moreover, the qualitative evaluations concern either single alternatives (e.g., x is “bad”, or “medium”, or “good”) or degrees of preference for pairs of alternatives (e.g., x is “indifferent” to y, or x is “weakly preferred” to y, or x is “strongly preferred” to y).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Bana e Costa, C. & Vansnick, J. (1994). Macbeth – an interactive path towards the construction of cardinal value functions. International transactions in operational Research, 34, 489–500.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bana e Costa, C., De Corte, J.-M., & Vansnick, J. (2005). On the mathematical foundation of macbeth. In J. Figueira, S. Greco, & M. Ehrgott (Eds.), Multicriteria Decision Analysis: State of the Art Surveys (pp. 409–442). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dyer, J. & Sarin, R. (1979). Measurable multiattribute value functions. Operations Research, 27, 810–822.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Figueira, J., Mousseau, V., & Roy, B. (2005a). Electre methods. In J. Figueira, S. Greco, & M. Ehrgott (Eds.), Multicriteria Decision Analysis: State of the Art Surveys (pp. 133–162). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Figueira, J., Greco, S., & Ehrgott, M. (2005b). Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis: State of the Art Surveys, Vol. 78 of Springer’s International Series in Operations Research & Management Science. New York, NY: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Figueira, J., Greco, S., & Slowinski, R. (2009). Building a set of additive value functions representing a reference preorder and intensities of preference: Grip method. European Journal of Operational Research, 195, 460–486.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fodor, J. (2000). Smooth associative operations on finite ordinal scales. IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy Systems, 8, 791–795.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grabisch, M. (2006). Representation of preferences over a finite scale by a mean operator. Mathematical Social Sciences, 52, 131–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greco, S., Matarazzo, B., & Slowinski, R. (2001). Rough sets theory for multicriteria decision analysis. European Journal of Operational Research, 129, 1–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greco, S., Matarazzo, B., & Słowiński, R. (2005). Decision rule approach. In J. Figueira, S. Greco, & M. Ehrgott (Eds.), Multicriteria Decision Analysis: State of the Art Surveys (pp. 507–563). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greco, S., Mousseau, V., & Słowiński, R. (2008). Ordinal regression revisited: multiple criteria ranking with a set of additive value functions. European Journal of Operational Research, 191, 416436.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Green, P. & Rao, V. (1971). Conjoint measurement for quantifying judgmental data. Journal Of Marketing Research, 8, 355–363.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacquet-Lagrèze, J. & Siskos, Y. (1982). Assessing a set of additive utility functions for multicriteria decision making: the uta method. European Journal of Operational Research, 10, 151–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krantz, D., Luce, R., Suppes, P., & Tversky, A. (1971). Foundations of measurement, Vol. 1: Additive and Polynomial Representations. New York: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marichal, J.-L. & Mesiar, R. (2004). Aggregation on finite ordinal scales by scale independent functions. Order, 21, 155–180.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marichal, J.-L., Mesiar, R., & Rückschlossová, T. (2005). A complete description of comparison meaningful functions. Aequationes Mathematicae, 69, 309–320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mas, M., Mayor, G., & Torrens, J. (1999). T-operators and uninorms on a finite totally ordered set. International Journal of Intelligent Systems, 14, 909–922.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mas, M., Monserrat, M., & Torrens, J. (2003). On bisymmetric operators on a finite chain. IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy Systems, 11, 647–651.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ovchinnikov, S. (1996). Means on ordered sets. Mathematical Social Sciences, 32, 39–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roy, B. & Bouyssou, D. (1993). Aide Multicritère à la Décision: Méthodes et Cas. Paris: Economica.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saaty, T. (1980). The Analytic Hierarchy Process. New York: McGraw Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saaty, T. (2005). The analytic hierarchy process and analytic network processes for the measurement of intangible criteria and for decision making. In J. Figueira, S. Greco, & M. Ehrgott (Eds.), Multicriteria Decision Analysis: State of the Art Surveys (pp. 345–407). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Słowiński, R., Greco, S., & Matarazzo, B. (2005). Rough set based decision support. In E. Burke & G. Kendall (Eds.), Search Methodologies: Introductory Tutorials in Optimization and Decision Support Techniques (pp. 475–527). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stevens, S. (1975). Psychophysics. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The third author wishes to acknowledge financial support from the Polish Ministry of Education and Science, grant no. N N519 314435.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Salvatore Greco .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Greco, S., Matarazzo, B., Słowiński, R. (2010). Ordinal Qualitative Scales. In: Ehrgott, M., Naujoks, B., Stewart, T., Wallenius, J. (eds) Multiple Criteria Decision Making for Sustainable Energy and Transportation Systems. Lecture Notes in Economics and Mathematical Systems, vol 634. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-04045-0_23

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics