A Multiattribute Group Decision-Making Method With Probabilistic Linguistic Information Based on an Adaptive Consensus Reaching Model and Evidential Reasoning

This article proposes a new multiattribute group decision-making (MAGDM) method with probabilistic linguistic information that considers the following three aspects: an allocation of ignorance information, a realization of group consensus, and an aggregation of assessments. To allocate ignorance information, an optimization model based on minimizing the distances among experts is developed. To measure the consensus degree, a consensus index that considers the information granules of linguistic terms (LTs) is defined. On this basis, a suitable optimization model is established to realize the group consensus adaptively by optimizing the allocation of information granules of LTs with the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. With an objective to reduce the information loss during aggregation phases, the process of generating comprehensive assessments of alternatives with the evidential reasoning (ER) algorithm is presented. Therefore, a new method is developed based on the adaptive consensus reaching (ACR) model and the ER algorithm. Finally, the applicability of the proposed method is demonstrated by solving a selection problem of a financial technology company. Comparative analyses are conducted to show the advantages of the proposed method.

[1]  Peide Liu,et al.  Consistency- and Consensus-Based Group Decision-Making Method With Incomplete Probabilistic Linguistic Preference Relations , 2021, IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy Systems.

[2]  Zhang-peng Tian,et al.  Consistency and consensus improvement models driven by a personalized normalization method with probabilistic linguistic preference relations , 2021, Inf. Fusion.

[3]  Francisco Herrera,et al.  A consensus process based on regret theory with probabilistic linguistic term sets and its application in venture capital , 2021, Inf. Sci..

[4]  Zeshui Xu,et al.  A novel process to determine consensus thresholds and its application in probabilistic linguistic group decision-making , 2020, Expert Syst. Appl..

[5]  Xuanhua Xu,et al.  Hierarchical Punishment-Driven Consensus Model for Probabilistic Linguistic Large-Group Decision Making with Application to Global Supplier Selection , 2020, Group Decision and Negotiation.

[6]  Jianjun Zhu,et al.  A Probabilistic Linguistic Group Decision-Making Method From a Reliability Perspective Based on Evidential Reasoning , 2020, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Systems.

[7]  G. Yen,et al.  A Consensus Community-Based Particle Swarm Optimization for Dynamic Community Detection , 2020, IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics.

[8]  Witold Pedrycz,et al.  Flexible Linguistic Expressions and Consensus Reaching With Accurate Constraints in Group Decision-Making , 2020, IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics.

[9]  Zhang-peng Tian,et al.  Probabilistic linguistic multi-criteria decision-making based on evidential reasoning and combined ranking methods considering decision-makers’ psychological preferences , 2020, J. Oper. Res. Soc..

[10]  Huchang Liao,et al.  Probabilistic linguistic information fusion: A survey on aggregation operators in terms of principles, definitions, classifications, applications, and challenges , 2020, Int. J. Intell. Syst..

[11]  Huchang Liao,et al.  The state-of-the-art survey on integrations and applications of the best worst method in decision making: Why, what, what for and what's next? , 2019, Omega.

[12]  Peng Li,et al.  An emergency decision-making method based on D-S evidence theory for probabilistic linguistic term sets , 2019, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction.

[13]  Jian Chai,et al.  Emergency rescue planning under probabilistic linguistic information: An integrated FTA-ANP method , 2019, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction.

[14]  Jun Hu,et al.  Large-scale group decision making with multiple stakeholders based on probabilistic linguistic preference relation , 2019, Appl. Soft Comput..

[15]  Huchang Liao,et al.  Novel operations of PLTSs based on the disparity degrees of linguistic terms and their use in designing the probabilistic linguistic ELECTRE III method , 2019, Appl. Soft Comput..

[16]  Enrique Herrera-Viedma,et al.  Group Decision Making with Heterogeneous Preference Structures: An Automatic Mechanism to Support Consensus Reaching , 2019, Group Decision and Negotiation.

[17]  Peide Liu,et al.  Probabilistic linguistic TODIM method for selecting products through online product reviews , 2019, Inf. Sci..

[18]  Yongming Song,et al.  A large-scale group decision-making with incomplete multi-granular probabilistic linguistic term sets and its application in sustainable supplier selection , 2019, J. Oper. Res. Soc..

[19]  Sidong Xian,et al.  A Visual Comparison Method and Similarity Measure for Probabilistic Linguistic Term Sets and Their Applications in Multi-criteria Decision Making , 2019, Int. J. Fuzzy Syst..

[20]  Min Wu,et al.  A new method for probabilistic linguistic multi-attribute group decision making: Application to the selection of financial technologies , 2019, Appl. Soft Comput..

[21]  Shanlin Yang,et al.  Multiple criteria group decision making with belief distributions and distributed preference relations , 2019, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[22]  Huchang Liao,et al.  A consensus-based probabilistic linguistic gained and lost dominance score method , 2019, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[23]  Shuai Huang,et al.  An Improved Consensus-Based Model for Large Group Decision Making Problems Considering Experts with Linguistic Weighted Information , 2019, Group Decision and Negotiation.

[24]  Lin Li,et al.  Group decision-making approach for evaluating the sustainability of constructed wetlands with probabilistic linguistic preference relations , 2019, J. Oper. Res. Soc..

[25]  Zeshui Xu,et al.  An emergency decision making method based on the multiplicative consistency of probabilistic linguistic preference relations , 2018, Int. J. Mach. Learn. Cybern..

[26]  Decui Liang,et al.  Grey Relational Analysis Method for Probabilistic Linguistic Multi-criteria Group Decision-Making Based on Geometric Bonferroni Mean , 2017, International Journal of Fuzzy Systems.

[27]  Huchang Liao,et al.  An approach to quality function deployment based on probabilistic linguistic term sets and ORESTE method for multi-expert multi-criteria decision making , 2018, Inf. Fusion.

[28]  Witold Pedrycz,et al.  Granular computing for data analytics: a manifesto of human-centric computing , 2018, IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica.

[29]  Peide Liu,et al.  Some Muirhead mean operators for probabilistic linguistic term sets and their applications to multiple attribute decision-making , 2018, Appl. Soft Comput..

[30]  Jianqiang Wang,et al.  Personalized restaurant recommendation method combining group correlations and customer preferences , 2018, Inf. Sci..

[31]  Francisco Herrera,et al.  Probabilistic Linguistic MULTIMOORA: A Multicriteria Decision Making Method Based on the Probabilistic Linguistic Expectation Function and the Improved Borda Rule , 2018, IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy Systems.

[32]  Witold Pedrycz,et al.  Granulating linguistic information in decision making under consensus and consistency , 2018, Expert Syst. Appl..

[33]  F. Chiclana,et al.  Strategic weight manipulation in multiple attribute decision making , 2018 .

[34]  Zeshui Xu,et al.  Venture capital group decision-making with interaction under probabilistic linguistic environment , 2018, Knowl. Based Syst..

[35]  Zaiwu Gong,et al.  Group decision making using distances between unbalanced linguistic assessments , 2017, Appl. Soft Comput..

[36]  Hong-yu Zhang,et al.  Cloud decision support model for selecting hotels on TripAdvisor.com with probabilistic linguistic information , 2018 .

[37]  Peide Liu,et al.  Approach to Multi-Attributes Decision Making With Intuitionistic Linguistic Information Based on Dempster-Shafer Evidence Theory , 2018, IEEE Access.

[38]  Ying Li,et al.  The PROMTHEE II Method Based on Probabilistic Linguistic Information and Their Application to Decision Making , 2018, Informatica.

[39]  Zeshui Xu,et al.  Ordered Weighted Hesitant Fuzzy Information Fusion-Based Approach to Multiple Attribute Decision Making with Probabilistic Linguistic Term Sets , 2018, Fundam. Inform..

[40]  Xin He,et al.  Probabilistic Linguistic Power Aggregation Operators for Multi-Criteria Group Decision Making , 2017, Symmetry.

[41]  Zeshui Xu,et al.  A consensus process for group decision making with probabilistic linguistic preference relations , 2017, Inf. Sci..

[42]  Xiaolu Zhang,et al.  Probabilistic Linguistic VIKOR Method to Evaluate Green Supply Chain Initiatives , 2017 .

[43]  Zhen Zhang,et al.  Managing Multigranular Linguistic Distribution Assessments in Large-Scale Multiattribute Group Decision Making , 2017, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Systems.

[44]  Ren Zhang,et al.  Comparisons of probabilistic linguistic term sets for multi-criteria decision making , 2017, Knowl. Based Syst..

[45]  Zeshui Xu,et al.  Consistency-based risk assessment with probabilistic linguistic preference relation , 2016, Appl. Soft Comput..

[46]  Zeshui Xu,et al.  Probabilistic linguistic term sets in multi-attribute group decision making , 2016, Inf. Sci..

[47]  J. Rezaei Best-worst multi-criteria decision-making method: Some properties and a linear model , 2016 .

[48]  Jian-Bo Yang,et al.  A group evidential reasoning approach based on expert reliability , 2015, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[49]  Andrzej Bargiela,et al.  An Optimization of Allocation of Information Granularity in the Interpretation of Data Structures: Toward Granular Fuzzy Clustering , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Part B (Cybernetics).

[50]  Zhibin Wu,et al.  Consensus reaching models of linguistic preference relations based on distance functions , 2012, Soft Comput..

[51]  Francisco Herrera,et al.  Hesitant Fuzzy Linguistic Term Sets for Decision Making , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Fuzzy Systems.

[52]  Zeshui Xu,et al.  Dependent uncertain ordered weighted aggregation operators , 2008, Inf. Fusion.

[53]  Jian-Bo Yang,et al.  The evidential reasoning approach for MADA under both probabilistic and fuzzy uncertainties , 2006, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[54]  Zeshui Xu,et al.  A method based on linguistic aggregation operators for group decision making with linguistic preference relations , 2004, Inf. Sci..

[55]  L. A. ZADEH,et al.  The concept of a linguistic variable and its application to approximate reasoning - I , 1975, Inf. Sci..