Interactive weight assessment in multiple attribute decision making

A weight assessing method is given for solving a multiple attribute decision problem involving one decision maker. The method provides significant freedom to the decision maker who is asked only to specify certain groups of attributes and the corresponding joint weights. The method then provides a sophisticated interaction between various levels of the attributes involved. Furthermore, if the decision maker wishes to give additional information of the above-mentioned kind, he establishes an interaction on the level of the solution process. This can compensate for the inherent limitations of any method based on scalar utility functions by allowing a certain intransitivity and incomparability of preferences, which are natural in multiple attribute situations.