Criteriadepend

Criteriadepend is a concept in decision theory and related fields that describes the sensitivity of evaluation results to the criteria chosen for assessment. The term captures the idea that the ranking or classification of alternatives can change when the set of criteria is altered, when criteria are weighted differently, or when how criteria are aggregated changes. In other words, outcomes depend on the criteria framework rather than solely on the inherent qualities of the options being compared.

Etymology and scope

The term blends “criterion” with “dependence,” signaling that evaluation is not objective in a vacuum but contingent on the criteria and their formulation. Criteriadepend is used across disciplines that involve multi-criteria assessment, including decision analysis, policy evaluation, and information systems design.

Formalization and examples

In multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), decision makers assign scores or weights to a set of criteria and compute an overall score for each alternative. If the criteria set is expanded, removed, or reweighted, the resulting rankings may change, illustrating criteriadepend. For example, in selecting a product, prioritizing cost and performance may yield a different winner than prioritizing durability and aesthetics. Even with the same data, different aggregation rules (weighted sum, outranking, etc.) can also produce different outcomes, highlighting the dependence on criteria formulation.

Implications and methods

Criteriadepend has implications for robustness and transparency in decision support. Analysts address it through sensitivity analysis, scenario analysis, and robust or non-dominated solution approaches that seek results stable across reasonable criterion configurations. It also motivates careful justification of chosen criteria and explicit communication of how those choices influence conclusions.

See also: multi-criteria decision analysis, sensitivity analysis, Pareto efficiency, criterion independence.