Group Decision Theory.

Abstract : A general foundation for group decisions is formulated involving: (1) Resolution of disagreement on factual questions by demonstrating greater accuracy of group judgment over average accuracy of individual judgments. (2) Resolution of inconsistencies between individual and group preferences (Arrow paradox) by means of ordinal scales with fixed reference points. (3) Demonstration that, if the individual members of the group have cardinal utility scales, then the conditions of dominance, acyclicity, continuity and equivalence (if the group is indifferent between actions (1) and (2). it is indifferent between (1) and any probability combination of (1) and (2), then there is a group utility function which is a weighted sum of the individual utilities. (Author)