J 2017

On the inconsistency of pairwise comparisons: An experimental study

MAZUREK, Jiří and Radomír PERZINA

Basic information

Original name

On the inconsistency of pairwise comparisons: An experimental study

Authors

MAZUREK, Jiří (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution) and Radomír PERZINA (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Scientific Papers of the University of Pardubice, Series D: Faculty of Economics and Administration, 2017, 1211555X

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

10102 Applied mathematics

Country of publisher

Czech Republic

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

RIV identification code

RIV/47813059:19520/17:00010930

Organization unit

School of Business Administration in Karvina

Keywords in English

AHP; consistency index; consistency ratio; experiment; inconsistency; pairwise comparisons

Links

GA14-02424S, research and development project.
Změněno: 7/2/2020 11:00, RNDr. Daniel Jakubík

Abstract

V originále

A problem of the inconsistency of pairwise comparisons is of focal interest in the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), but, up to date, we know only little about how much are real decision makers inconsistent, and whether the number of objects to be compared influences the inconsistency of their judgments. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to experimentally assess how the inconsistency of pairwise comparisons in the AHP framework changes when the number of objects to be compared (alternatives and/or criteria) increases. In our study, the method of a blind experiment was selected: subjects of the study, who were familiar with the AHP, were instructed to pairwise compare from 3 to 7 objects not knowing the true objective of the study. The main result obtained via ANOVA method is that the consistency ratio was not affected by the increasing number of compared objects, the result that might be likely attributed to the apparent redundancy of pairwise comparisons in the AHP which "corrects" inconsistent judgments. Also, it was found that only 3% of pairwise comparison matrices provided by decision makers were fully consistent, while for 36% of pairwise comparison matrices the consistency ratio CR exceeded the threshold of 0.10.