A Comprehensive Literature Review of the Rank Reversal Phenomenon in the Analytic Hierarchy Process

During the last few decades, several multi‐criteria decision analysis methods have been proposed to help in selecting the best compromise alternatives. Among them, analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and its applications have attracted much attention from academics and practitioners. However, since the early 1980s, critics have raised questions regarding its proper use. One of them concerns the unacceptable changes in the ranks of the alternatives, called rank reversal, upon changing the structure of the decision. Several modifications were suggested to preserve ranks. In this paper, a classification scheme and a comprehensive literature review are presented in order to uncover, classify and interpret the current research on AHP methodologies and rank reversals. On the basis of the scheme, 61 scholarly papers from 18 journals are categorized into specific areas. The specific areas include the papers on the topics of adding/deleting alternatives and the papers published in adding/deleting criteria. The scholarly papers are also classified by (1) year of publication, (2) journal of publication, (3) authors' geographic location and (4) using the AHP in association with other methods. It is hoped that the paper can meet the needs of researchers and practitioners for convenient references of AHP methodologies and rank reversals and hence promote the future of rank reversal research. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

文本表述和结构对小学生数学应用题表征的影响

以450名小学生为被试,探讨了文本表述和结构对小学生数学应用题表征成绩的影响。采用2(难度)×2(题材熟悉度)×5(措辞类型)×3(年级)四因素混合设计。结果表明:不同文本表述和结构对小学生解决数学应用题的影响不因年级的不同而不同;概念性措辞问题和情境性措辞问题都促进了小学生数学应用题的表征成绩;在容易问题中,额外信息对表征成绩影响较大;在较难问题中,数学运算关系难度对表征成绩影响较大;当解决文本背景较简单的标准措辞问题时,题材熟悉度对小学生的理解产生较大影响;文本长度对问题解决的影响取决于所增加的文本是否对理解问题的句法关系和语义情景有益。     

单页和多页呈现设计对网页信息搜索效率及主观感受的影响

本研究以操作绩效和主观满意度为指标,对网页信息的单页和多页呈现方式进行研究。实验采用搜索任务,共有46名被试参加实验。研究结果表明：（1）在常用的页码翻页、下拉翻页、填写翻页和上页下页翻页四种多页操作方式中,页码翻页是最优的操作方式;（2）无论是在搜索绩效上还是主观满意度上,网页信息的多页呈现方式都要优于单页呈现方式。本实验结果可以为网页信息呈现设计提供科学的依据。     

数目及其呈现方式在不同范围内对时间知觉的影响

采用时间比较法,考察数目及其呈现方式对时间知觉的影响。任务中,首先呈现标准时距,此时变化刺激的数目或呈现方式,然后呈现比较时距,被试的任务是判断比较时距比标准时距长还是短。实验1和实验2分别采用1秒内和1秒以上的时间,结果发现： 1秒内的时间加工中,刺激一个一个连续呈现时,小数引起标准时距的低估,大数导致标准时距的高估,而同时呈现时,刺激的数目对知觉到的时间无影响;数目及其呈现方式影响计时的准确性,而对计时的变异性和敏感性无影响。时间在1秒以上,同时呈现和连续呈现条件下,刺激的数目影响知觉到的时间;计时的     

动态信息呈现对问题发现的影响研究

在多轮次动态和一次性静态两种呈现方式下,采用出声思维研究20名大学生潜藏与矛盾情境的问题发现特点。研究表明:(1)动态呈现促进被试更全面加工信息,发现问题数量和变通性优于静态呈现,但也阻断信息间的关联,不利于发现跨区问题。(2)动态呈现下,问题均匀分布在每个区域并按轮次先后顺序出现,静态呈现与此相反。(3)被试在新信息呈现后发现的问题分全新、改变方向、改变程度、一致性和联系性五类,潜藏情境中问题与先前信息关联更多。(4)被试对新信息影响做出积极评价。     

Effects of retrieval practice and presentation modality on verbal learning: testing the limits of the testing effect

ABSTRACT

The testing effect refers to improved memory after retrieval practice and has been researched primarily with visual stimuli. In two experiments, we investigated whether the testing effect can be replicated when the to-be-learned information is presented auditorily, or visually?+?auditorily. Participants learned Swahili-English word pairs in one of three presentation modalities – visual, auditory, or visual?+?auditory. This was manipulated between-participants in Experiment 1 and within-participants in Experiment2. All participants studied the word pairs during three study trials. Half of participants practiced recalling the English translations in response to the Swahili cue word twice before the final test whereas the other half simply studied the word pairs twice more. Results indicated an improvement in final test performance in the repeated test condition, but only in the visual presentation modality (Experiments 1 and 2) and in the visual?+?auditory presentation modality (Experiment 2). This suggests that the benefits of practiced retrieval may be limited to information presented in a visual modality.     

Think globally: cross-linguistic variation in electrophysiological activity during sentence comprehension

This paper demonstrates systematic cross-linguistic differences in the electrophysiological correlates of conflicts between form and meaning (“semantic reversal anomalies”). These engender P600 effects in English and Dutch (e.g. [Kolk et al., 2003] and [Kuperberg et al., 2003]), but a biphasic N400 - late positivity pattern in German (Schlesewsky and Bornkessel-Schlesewsky, 2009), and monophasic N400 effects in Turkish (Experiment 1) and Mandarin Chinese (Experiment 2). Experiment 3 revealed that, in Icelandic, semantic reversal anomalies show the English pattern with verbs requiring a position-based identification of argument roles, but the German pattern with verbs requiring a case-based identification of argument roles. The overall pattern of results reveals two separate dimensions of cross-linguistic variation: (i) the presence vs. absence of an N400, which we attribute to cross-linguistic differences with regard to the sequence-dependence of the form-to-meaning mapping and (ii) the presence vs. absence of a late positivity, which we interpret as an instance of a categorisation-related late P300, and which is observable when the language under consideration allows for a binary well-formedness categorisation of reversal anomalies. We conclude that, rather than reflecting linguistic domains such as syntax and semantics, the late positivity vs. N400 distinction is better understood in terms of the strategies that serve to optimise the form-to-meaning mapping in a given language.     

Lottery attractiveness and presentation mode of probability and value information

The attractiveness of lotteries that vary in p (probability) and o (outcome) depends on the presentation mode of p and o information. Extending previous findings on temporally experienced p, we manipulate the numerically stated versus spatially experienced format of both p (graphical presentation of a distribution of lottery tickets in an urn) and o (distribution of money notes). Lottery attractiveness ratings were sensitive to the expected value (EV), but p received more weight than o at constant EV levels (p‐dominance). Both EV sensitivity and p‐dominance were enhanced for experienced p and numerical o. This format particularly revealed the unattractiveness of low‐p lotteries. Experiencing p was functional in terms of accuracy and high‐risk avoidance, but only when the task environments rendered p diagnostic of EV. The presentation mode manipulations did not affect the initial perception stage but the relative weighting of p and o in the final judgment integration stage. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Data-based decision making: the impact of data variability, training, and context

The current study examines agreement among individuals with varying expertise in behavior analysis about the length of baseline when data were presented point by point. Participants were asked to respond to baseline data and to indicate when to terminate the baseline phase. When only minimal information was provided about the data set, experts and Board Certified Behavior Analyst participants generated baselines of similar lengths, whereas novices did not. Agreement was similar across participants when variability was low but deteriorated as variability in the data set increased. Participants generated shorter baselines when provided with information regarding the independent or dependent variable. Implications for training and the use of visual inspection are discussed.     

Preschoolers' use of dynamic facial, bodily, and vocal cues to emotion

In daily experience, children have access to a variety of cues to others’ emotions, including face, voice, and body posture. Determining which cues they use at which ages will help to reveal how the ability to recognize emotions develops. For happiness, sadness, anger, and fear, preschoolers (3-5 years, N = 144) were asked to label the emotion conveyed by dynamic cues in four cue conditions. The Face-only, Body Posture-only, and Multi-cue (face, body, and voice) conditions all were well recognized (M > 70%). In the Voice-only condition, recognition of sadness was high (72%), but recognition of the three other emotions was significantly lower (34%).