Structuring Multi-attribute Value Hierarchies

The first stage in a multi-attribute value analysis is the development of a hierarchical structure of the attributes of the problem. This paper reports the process of developing such a structure for the problem of choosing a suitable mode of transport for radioactive waste. The initial hierarchy of attributes went through several stages of development as new insights emerged about the nature of the problem. Some of the reasons behind this restructuring are discussed, and several important questions about the structuring process are formulated.

[1]  S. R. Watson,et al.  The Valuation of Decision Analysis , 1978 .

[2]  Ralph L. Keeney,et al.  Siting energy facilities , 1980 .

[3]  Charles F. Gettys,et al.  Multiple-stage probabilistic information processing , 1973 .

[4]  E. House Evaluating with Validity , 1980 .

[5]  L. Phillips A theory of requisite decision models , 1984 .

[6]  A. Tversky,et al.  Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases , 1974, Science.

[7]  G. A. Miller THE PSYCHOLOGICAL REVIEW THE MAGICAL NUMBER SEVEN, PLUS OR MINUS TWO: SOME LIMITS ON OUR CAPACITY FOR PROCESSING INFORMATION 1 , 1956 .

[8]  L. D. Phillips,et al.  Structuring Decisions. The Role of Structuring Heuristics , 1981 .

[9]  Baruch Fischhoff,et al.  Decision analysis. Clinical art or Clinical Science , 1977 .

[10]  Dennis M. Buede Structuring Value Attributes , 1986 .

[11]  C. C. Waid,et al.  An Experimental Comparison of Different Approaches to Determining Weights in Additive Utility Models , 1982 .

[12]  Gordon F. Pitz,et al.  The content and structure of value tree representations , 1984 .

[13]  Peter Bennett,et al.  Testing Times: Dilemmas in an Action Research Project , 1985 .

[14]  Lawrence D. Phillips,et al.  Requisite Decision Modelling: A Case Study , 1982 .

[15]  O. Svenson Process descriptions of decision making. , 1979 .

[16]  Michael L. Donnell,et al.  An experimental investigation of the relative effectiveness of two techniques for structuring multiattributed hierarchies , 1986 .

[17]  J. Armstrong The Use of the Decomposition Principle in Making Judgments , 1975 .