Probabilistic Linguistic-Based Group DEMATEL Method with Both Positive and Negative Influences

Bin Miao,Yonghe Sun,Zeshui Xu,Siyu Zhang,Zihang Huang

doi:10.1155/2021/4839079

Abstract

Decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) is a widely accepted factor analysis algorithm for complex systems. The rationality of the evaluation scale is the basis of sound DEMATEL decision-making. Unfortunately, the existing evaluation scales of DEMATEL failed to reasonably distinguish and describe the positive and negative influences between factors. Generally, the positive and negative influences between factors should be considered at the same time. In other words, negative influence between factors should not be directly ignored, which is improper and unrealistic. To better address this issue, we extend the evaluation scale of DEMATEL. We also integrate the scale-based group DEMATEL method with probabilistic linguistic term sets (PLTSs) to increase its effectiveness, which allows experts to express incomplete and uncertain linguistic preferences in DEMATEL decision-making. An experts’ subjective weight adjustment method based on the similarity degree between PLTSs is introduced to determine experts’ weights. Finally, an algorithm of probabilistic linguistic-based group DEMATEL method with both positive and negative influences is summarized, and an example is used to illustrate the proposed method and demonstrate its superiority. Our results demonstrate that the method proposed in this paper deals reasonably with realistic problems.

Highlights

As a factor analysis algorithm for complex socioeconomic system problems, by making full use of expertise and prior experience, decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) uses the form of an evaluation scale to judge the influence relationships between system factors and forms a direct influence matrix between factors. en, the judgment of the relative importance and the direct and indirect causal relationships between the factors can be estimated through matrix operations.e rationality of the evaluation scale of DEMATEL is the key to accurate decision-making. e evaluation scale of 0, 1, 2, and 3 was initially used to indicate the degree of direct influence between factors, representing “no influence,” “low influence,” “medium influence,” and “high influence,” respectively [1,2,3]
Jin et al [20] proposed the concept of uncertain probabilistic linguistic term set (UPLTS) to serve as an extension of the existing tools, and we developed an aggregation-based method and presented the application of the UPLTSs in multiple attribute group decision-making
In order to extend the traditional DEMATEL method to increasingly complex socioeconomic systems, we propose the concept of negative scaling. is will enable experts to express their multidimensional and multidirectional decision information more clearly, make comprehensive judgments on the causal relationships between influencing factors from multiple perspectives, and provide more accurate decision results. e motivation of this paper is to propose a probabilistic linguistic-based group DEMATEL method considering both the positive and negative influences between factors, where all information provided by experts is characterized by probabilistic linguistic terms, and the evaluation information can be partially ignored

Summary

Introduction

As a factor analysis algorithm for complex socioeconomic system problems, by making full use of expertise and prior experience, decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) uses the form of an evaluation scale to judge the influence relationships between system factors and forms a direct influence matrix between factors. en, the judgment of the relative importance and the direct and indirect causal relationships between the factors can be estimated through matrix operations. They defined the Euclidean distance between PLTSs and presented a judgment similarity-based correction method for experts’ subjective weights They failed to fully consider the structure of PLTSs given by various experts, giving rise to poor reliability of similarity evaluations. E motivation of this paper is to propose a probabilistic linguistic-based group DEMATEL method considering both the positive and negative influences between factors, where all information provided by experts is characterized by probabilistic linguistic terms, and the evaluation information can be partially ignored.

Preliminaries

New Group DEMATEL Method

Illustrative Example

Analysis of Influencing Factors by the New Scale-Based

Conclusions and Future