A psychometric approach to the VIKOR method for eliciting subjective public assessments

Abstract

Based on the concepts of sensory thresholds, the Weber-Fechner Law in psychology has usually been applied to sensory dimensions. However, some neurophysiological studies have shown that assessment of mental numbers or numerical information also follows this law. Therefore this paper proposes a modification of VIKOR that reflects the Weber-Fechner law to account for nonlinearity in evaluation scales as perceived by decision-makers. The model is applied to a case where public approval of two different types of public bus operation systems considering six criteria is pursued. The results are compared with those obtained from the multi-attribute value method (MAVT). The suggested method inflates the relative attractiveness of the alternatives that are closer to the best solutions (used by VIKOR). A numerical example is also provided to illustrate the applicability of the approach. This method can be a useful tool where public opinions based on subjective perceptions in a public participation process are of particular interest rather than assessing verifiable facts, i.e., observable, measurable data.