Experiences with MAUD: Aiding decision structuring versus bootstrapping the decision maker

Rethinking the Process of Operational Research & Systems Analysis

“…In this case a sensible decision support system must be built on different lines than those of "sharing", of "sameness". It may be like the ones developed by Humphreys, 1980;Pearl el al., 1980. In these systems the decision-maker him-or herself is asked to state alternatives, preferences and probabilities and these are then repeatedly checked for consistency and completeness ("is this all; would you like to reconsider ...").…”

“…That is, if one individual would try to improve on his or her own criteria via the procedure(s), then that activity itself should help others to improve -and vice versa. (d) The researcher is seen here to be a "change support" (similar to the system for questioning and answering for decision-makers; Humphreys, 1980). He or she must initiate (part of) the construction and checking of changes (that is he or she is providing V's, for X's -to use an earlier terminology).…”

Comparison study of multi‐attribute decision analytic software

“…In short, all the packages provide excellent support for decision analytic calculations but little in the way of support of the decision making process itself. This is perhaps surprising because MAUD, one of the earliest MCDM packages, did emphasize process support (Humphreys and McFadden, 1980). Klein (1994) has developed the theory further, providing an automated explanation of the implications of decision analytic calculations: see also Papamichail and French (2003).…”

Handling Decision Problems: a Structuring Language and Interactive Modules

“…A fundamental principal of effective decision aiding is that support and assistance should be focused at the point in the problem structuring and decision making processes where the problem owner/decision maker is experiencing difficulty in proceeding (Humphreys and McFadden, 1980;Jungermann, 1980). In Chapter 2, we describe these processes in terms of seven major stages (Al to A7, in Figure 1), and, in Chapter 3, indicate four major classes of techniques and tools (R1 to R4), each with a qualitatively different decision support function, and each pointing to the stage within the overall decision making process where decision aiding and decision support systems within that class may be able to render effective assistance.…”

“…For example, suppose for the sake of argument, we decide to select frames from within the taxonomy provided by decision theoretic technology. If the frame selected has the function at level 4 of providing an evaluation of (multiattributed) consequences, then, within this frame, development of structure implies eliciting and defining the set of attributes to be included in a multi-attribute utility structure (Edwards and Newman, 1982;Humphreys and McFadden, 1980). If, on the other hand, the frame selected at level 4 has the function of providing an assessment of the likelihood of an event, which is dependent on other events, then, within this frame, development of structure implies eliciting and defining the set of conditioning events and relations between them within an influence diagram Phillips, Humphreys and Embrey, 1983).…”