We present an efficient algorithm for exact calculation and minimization of expected waiting times of all passengers using a bank of elevators. The dynamics of the system are represented by a discrete-state Markov chain embedded in the continuous phase-space diagram of a moving elevator car. The chain is evaluated efficiently using dynamic programming to compute measures of future system perfor...

Theory and research on small group performance and decision making is reviewed. Recent trends in group performance research have found that process gains as well as losses are possible, and both are frequently explained by situational and procedural contexts that differentially affect motivation and resource coordination. Research has continued on classic topics (e.g., brainstorming, group goal...

In this paper, dual exponential possibility distributions, namely, upper and lower exponential possibility distributions, are identified from the given data to characterize a decision-maker’s knowledge. A decision group’s knowledge can be represented by a set of such dual possibility distributions. The inherent diversity of knowledge among decision-makers is characterized by a conflict index. A...

Identifying factors that affect human decision making and quantifying their influence remain essential and challenging tasks for the design and implementation of social and technological communication systems. We report results of a behavioral experiment involving decision making in the face of an impending natural disaster. In a controlled laboratory setting, we characterize individual and gro...

The optimal aggregation of (expert) opinion has been a focus of much research, and there is a clear resemblance to the problem of the optimal combination of multiple items or tests (e.g. Meehl, 1999). For binary choice situations with a correct alternative, it has been shown that a weighted sum of individual choices is the optimal aggregation rule, where the weights proportional to the odds of ...