TOWARD A NEW PARADIGM FOR THE STUDY OF MULTIATTRIBUTE CHOICE BEHAVIOR - SPATIAL AND DISCRETE MODELING OF PAIRWISE PREFERENCES

Some recent probabilistic choice models for paired comparisons data are reviewed. First, the differences between various forms of stochastic transitivity are explained. It is then argued that in order to be realistic, a pairwise choice model should be a moderate utility model; that is, it should imply moderate stochastic transitivity, but not necessarily strong stochastic transitivity. Subsequently, three recent families of pairwise choice models are introduced that satisfy this requirement. These models are formulated mainly in an informal manner, stressing their rationale rather than their formal derivation. The models are illustrated from data about celebrities collected by Rumelhart and Greeno (1971). In the conclusion it is argued that the present models may very well form the basis for a new paradigm for studying multiattribute choice behavior.