A Probabilistic Evaluation Framework for Preference Aggregation Reflecting Group Homogeneity

Jansen, Christoph; Schollmeyer, Georg and Augustin, Thomas (5. August 2016): A Probabilistic Evaluation Framework for Preference Aggregation Reflecting Group Homogeneity. Department of Statistics: Technical Reports, No.193

Abstract

Groups differ in the homogeneity of their members' preferences. Reflecting this, we propose a probabilistic criterion for evaluating and comparing the adequateness of preference aggregation procedures that takes into account information on the considered group's homogeneity structure. Further, we discuss two approaches for approximating our criterion if information is only imperfectly given and show how to estimate these approximations from data. As a preparation, we elaborate some general minimal requirements for measuring homogeneity and discuss a specific proposal for a homogeneity measure. Finally, we investigate our framework by comparing aggregation rules in a simulation study.

• Item Type: Paper
• Keywords: aggregation procedure; preference profile; voting theory; imprecise probabilities; maximum entropy; homogeneity measure; group decision making
• Faculties: Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics > Statistics; Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics > Statistics > Technical Reports; Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics > Statistics > Chairs/Working Groups > Foundations of Statistics and their Applications
• Subjects: 500 Science > 510 Mathematics
• JEL Classification: C1, C6
• Language: English