Identification of determinant attributes using the analytic hierarchy process

This article develops a new approach, using information available in the intermediate and final phases of the analytic hierarchy process, to explicitly identify which attributes or criteria are determinant in making a choice among several given alternatives. The approach parallels that used in the popular direct dual questioning determinant attribute (DQDA) analysis, which has been widely used in marketing applications. Using the hierarchical structure and pairwise comparisons, the combined relative priorities of the criteria are compared with the relative priorities of the choice alternatives to compute determinance scores. These values are the basis for identifying which of the criteria are both important and different across alternatives (i.e., determinant). This new approach overcomes the potential ambiguities of traditional direct dual questioning methods. Moreover, the approach is easily extended to include decision hierarchies with multiple levels of attributes and subattributes.

[1]  L. Thurstone.  The method of paired comparisons for social values , 1927 .

[2]  Allen Newell,et al.  Elements of a theory of human problem solving. , 1958 .

[3]  J. H. Myers,et al.  Determinant Buying Attitudes: Meaning and Measurement , 1968 .

[4]  Mark I. Alpert,et al.  Identification of Determinant Attributes: A Comparison of Methods , 1971 .

[5]  Yoram Wind,et al.  Multiattribute decisions in marketing : a measurement approach , 1973 .

[6]  J. Jacoby.  Perspectives On a Consumer Information Processing Research Program , 1975 .

[7]  W. Anderson,et al.  Bank Selection Decisions and Market Segmentation , 1976 .

[8]  W. Anderson,et al.  Bank Selection Decisions and Market Segmentation , 1976 .

[9]  T. L. Saaty.  A Scaling Method for Priorities in Hierarchical Structures , 1977 .

[10]  I. Ajzen,et al.  Belief, Attitude, Intention, and Behavior: An Introduction to Theory and Research , 1977 .

[11]  Thomas L. Saaty,et al.  Marketing Applications of the Analytic Hierarchy Process , 1980 .

[12]  Valerie Belton,et al.  On a short-coming of Saaty's method of analytic hierarchies , 1983 .

[13]  T. Saaty,et al.  Procedures for Synthesizing Ratio Judgements , 1983 .

[14]  T. Saaty,et al.  The Analytic Hierarchy Process , 1985 .

[15]  Fatemeh Zahedi,et al.  The Analytic Hierarchy Process—A Survey of the Method and its Applications , 1986 .

[16]  T. Saaty.  Axiomatic foundation of the analytic hierarchy process , 1986 .

[17]  Thomas W. Whipple,et al.  Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process to Assess Gender Differences in the Evaluation of Microcomputer Vendors , 1987 .

[18]  J. A. Sharp.  Haulier Selection—An Application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process , 1987 .

[19]  Luis G. Vargas,et al.  The theory of ratio scale estimation: Saaty's analytic hierarchy process , 1987 .

[20]  Zilla Sinuany-Stern,et al.  Ranking of Sports Teams via the AHP , 1988 .

[21]  W. Wedley,et al.  Ambiguous Criteria Weights in AHP: Consequences and Solutions* , 1989 .

[22]  R. Armacost,et al.  Using the analytic hierarchy process for bank management: Analysis of consumer bank selection decisions , 1989 .

[23]  Patrick T. Harker,et al.  The Analytic hierarchy process : applications and studies , 1989 .

[24]  E. C. Stalling,et al.  How to identify differences between market segments with attribute analysis , 1990 .

[25]  Bruce L. Golden,et al.  Introduction: Public-sector applications of the analytic hierarchy process , 1991 .

[26]  Hendrik P. van Dalen,et al.  Elements of a Theory , 1992 .