Multi-attribute Group Decision-Making Based on the Evidential Reasoning with Different Probabilistic Linguistic Term Sets

Abstract

With the complexity of the decision environment problem and difference of decision makers’ cultural and knowledge background, actual multi-attribute group decision making (MAGDM) problems are usually with different linguistic term sets under both probabilistic and fuzzy uncertainties. In this paper, a new method of group decision making based on the fuzzy evidential reasoning (FER) algorithm is proposed to deal with MAGDM problems with the information above. Firstly, the concept of fuzzy frame of discernment is presented, which can express the information with different linguistic term sets under both probabilistic and fuzzy uncertainties. Secondly, a uniform method of different fuzzy frames of discernment is proposed, and the assessment information given by decision makers is integrated by the fuzzy evidential reasoning algorithm on the common frame of discernment. Thirdly, the fuzzy utilities are calculated and used to rank all decision alternatives. Finally, an example is given to show the feasibility and validity of this method.