A Structural Mapping Approach to Complex Decision-Making

Abstract

Different methods currently available for multiple criteria decision analysis, such as cost-benefit analysis and utility theory, make strong axiomatic demands. The method suggested here uses multidimensional scaling techniques, as applied to the problem of constructing geographical maps from fragmentary information, to draw maps of policies involving many attributes in such a way as to throw most preferred and least preferred policies to opposite poles. The only axiomatic demand is non-transitive indifference. An analysis suggests that the method is robust against changes in the input data.