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The expected likelihood of transitivity: A survey

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Abstract

May developed an algebraic choice model to describe pairwise comparisons from an empirical study. A probabilistic choice variation of May's model has also been developed. This study presents a survey of work that considers the expected likelihood that a subject using the probabilistic model will have transitive responses for pairwise choices on a set of three alternatives. Of particular interest is the impact that various factors that influence the probabilistic choice model have on the expected likelihood of transitivity. These factors include the degree of accuracy with which the subject perceives the attributes of the alternatives, the number of attributes of comparison, and the consistency with which alternatives are ranked across attributes.

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This research was supported through a fellowship from the Center for Advanced Study of the University of Delaware.

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Gehrlein, W.V. The expected likelihood of transitivity: A survey. Theor Decis 37, 175–209 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01079265

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