Esta tese tem como objetivo principal verificar a validade teórica e empírica dos modelos operacionais para mensurar os accruals discricionários utilizados na detecção de gerenciamento de resultados contábeis. Inicialmente, é apresentada e discutida a informação contábil e sua importância na avaliação do desempenho empresarial e no estabelecimento das relações contratuais, o processo de mensuração contábil e as características institucionais e organizacionais que afetam as escolhas contábeis, características e conseqüências da qualidade das informações contábeis, a discricionariedade dos gestores em relação às perspectivas oportunística e de eficiência das informações contábeis. Por último, é examinado o processo de desenvolvimento e de validação dos modelos teóricos e operacionais na pesquisa analítico-empírica na pesquisa contábil. A seguir, é realizada uma análise teórico-crítica sobre a especificação do modelo geral para detecção de gerenciamento de resultados através das escolhas contábeis e dos modelos operacionais presentes na literatura para a estimação dos accruals discricionários, com base na fundamentação teórica subjacente. Com base nas observações sobre a construção dos modelos analítico-empíricos e evidências empíricas dos trabalhos anteriores, propôs-se um novo modelo para análise do comportamento dos accruals e estimação dos accruals discricionários. Adicionalmente, também se apresentou um modelo para detecção de gerenciamento de resultados que considera os incentivos simultâneos e os custos associados à prática oportunística sobre números contábeis. Este trabalho enquadra-se como uma pesquisa empírico-analítica, utilizando, também, as pesquisas bibliográfica e descritiva. A amostra, neste estudo, é formada pelo conjunto de companhias abertas do mercado de capitais brasileiro, norte-americano e dos demais mercados latino-americanos, compreendendo o período entre 1996 a 2005. A análise da especificação e do poder preditivo dos modelos é desenvolvida por diversos procedimentos estatísticos. Todos os modelos operacionais para mensurar os accruals discricionários utilizados na detecção de gerenciamento de resultados contábeis são estimados através da abordagem pooling of independent cross sections para todos os ambientes econômicos. A escolha do modelo com melhor poder preditivo é realizada pela análise do R2 ajustado, critérios de Akaike e de Schwarz e Teste Voung. Os resultados desta pesquisa sugerem que os modelos operacionais de estimação dos accruals discricionários presentes na literatura corrente, de modo geral, não apresentam fundamentação teórica adequada e alguns desses modelos são fracamente especificados e têm baixo poder preditivo, sendo significativamente afetados pelo ambiente econômico. Além disso, os resultados comprovam que o modelo operacional proposto neste trabalho para estimar os accruals discricionários para detecção de gerenciamento de resultados tem maior poder explicativo do comportamento dos accruals em todos os ambientes econômicos analisados. / This research aims to investigate the theoretical and empirical validity of operational models to measure discretionary accruals used in the detection of earnings management. Initially, accounting information and its importance in business valuation and in the establishment of contractual relations are presented and discussed, as well as the accounting measurement procedure and the institutional and organizational characteristics that affect accounting choices. The characteristics and consequences of accounting information quality and the discretionarity of managers with respect to the opportunistic and efficiency perspectives of accounting information are also addressed. Next, the development and validation process of theoretical and empirical models in analytical and empirical accounting research is examined. This is followed by a theoretical and critical analysis about the specification of the general model to detect earnings management by accounting choices and operational models in literature to estimate discretionary accruals, founded on underlying theoretical premises. Based on observations about the construction of analytical and empirical models and empirical evidence from previous studies, a new model is proposed to analyze accruals behavior and estimate discretionary accruals. Additionally, the study also exhibits a model for earnings management detection that considers the simultaneous incentives and costs associated with the opportunistic practice on accounting figures. This analytic and empirical study also uses bibliographic and descriptive research. The sample, in this study, is composed of public companies from Brazilian, North-American and other Latin-American capital markets, in the period from 1996 to 2005. The models\' specification and predictive power is analyzed through different statistical procedures. All operational models for measuring the discretionary accruals employed in earnings management detection are estimated through the pooling of independent cross sections for all economic environments. The model with the best predictive power is selected by adjusted R2, Akaike\'s and Schwarz\' information criteria and the Voung test. The research results suggest that the operational estimation models of discretionary accruals present in current literature do not exhibit adequate theoretical foundations. Some of those models are poorly specified and have low predictive power, besides being significantly affected by the economic environment. Moreover, the results proved that the operational model proposed in this study to estimate discretionary accruals for the detection of earnings management has larger explicative power of accruals behavior in all analyzed economic environments.

Background: The use of outcome measures to evaluate upper extremity function after stroke is highly recommended in clinical practice and research. The Chedoke Arm and Hand Activity Inventory (CAHAI) is a recommended measure as it has strong psychometric properties and clinical utility. However, the measure has not been validated in Asia and there are also gaps in the knowledge about the psychometric properties of the CAHAI. Aim & Objectives: This thesis is dedicated to the continued evaluation of the CAHAI with two main objectives: (1) to develop a Singapore version of the CAHAI, and (2) to re-evaluate the original CAHAI using modern test theories. Method: We conducted a study to cross-culturally adapt the CAHAI and evaluated the psychometric properties in a stroke sample in Singapore. Two studies were conducted to re-evaluate the original CAHAI using modern test theories. In the first study, item response theory and Rasch measurement theory were used to evaluate the psychometric properties of the measure. Following which, both measurement theories were used to revise the CAHAI in the second study. Results: Two test items were modified for the Singapore version of the CAHAI, and the measure had good inter-rater reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient = 0.95 – 0.97) and construct validity. The evaluation of the original CAHAI using modern test theories identified three main problems: (1) the scoring scale was not working as intended, (2) local dependency, and (3) the measure was not unidimensional. Revisions to the CAHAI included collapsing the 7-category scale to four categories, deleting two test items, and developing two new shortened versions. Conclusion: The Singapore version of the CAHAI is a valid and culturally relevant outcome measure that can be used to evaluate post-stroke upper extremity function. The original CAHAI was refined into a new 11- and 5-item versions with a 4-category scale which clinicians may find easier to use. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

„Nun sag, wie hast du’s mit der Messung im Labor?“ So oder ähnlich lautet die sich anhand dieser Arbeit ergebende Gretchenfrage bezüglich biomechanischer Auswertungen und Studien des Laufsports, welche unter Laborbedingungen durchgeführt werden. Hierbei wird angenommen, dass eine Messung im Labor eine valide experimentelle Operationalisierung des Ausdauerlaufens darstellt. Aufgrund der räumlichen Begrenzung kann lediglich eine vergleichsweise geringe Anzahl an einzelnen Versuchen aufgezeichnet werden. Für die statistische Auswertung werden dann zumeist einzelne Parameter der Zeitreihen berechnet, welche wiederum zusammengefasst durch Mittelwerte den Probanden repräsentieren müssen. Bei der Verwendung von diskreten Parametern reduziert sich die aufgenommene Information der Zeitreihe dabei erheblich. Damit einhergehend muss die Frage geklärt werden, ob die Variabilität eines Probanden anhand diskreter Werte oder anhand der gesamten Kurve Beachtung finden muss. Des Weiteren stellt sich die Frage inwieweit das arithmetische Mittel über eine große Anzahl an Versuchen als die den Probanden repräsentierende Kennzahl verwendet und dessen Variabilität mittels einer endlichen Anzahl an Wiederholungen charakterisiert werden kann. Für die Untersuchungen wurden zunächst zwei Studien durchgeführt, wobei die Aufzeichnung von Bodenreaktionskräften und der Winkelgeschwindigkeit bei 100 Läufen an je zwei Messtagen im Labor erfolgte. Die statistischen Auswertungen umfassen sowohl die Betrachtung der Konvergenz von Folgen kumulierter Mittelwerte, Standardabweichungen und Root Mean Square Errors für diskrete Parameter und die gesamten aufgezeichneten Signale der Bodenreaktionskräfte und Winkelgeschwindigkeit als auch die Untersuchung von Prädiktionsbändern. Zudem wurden unterschiedliche Algorithmen zur Bestimmung der minimalen Anzahl an aufzuzeichnenden Versuchen entwickelt. Diese beinhalten nichtlineare Regressionsmodelle für die Anpassung der kumulierten Fläche der Prädiktionsbänder gesamter Kurven und die Analyse der Differenzen aufeinanderfolgender Standardabweichungskurven. Zusammenfassend geht aus dieser Arbeit hervor, dass die postulierte ausreichende und stabile Charakterisierung eines Probanden anhand des arithmetischen Mittels sowie der vollständigen und soliden Beschreibung der Variabilität für diskrete Parameter nicht nachgewiesen werden konnte. Für gesamte Kurven ergab sich ein anderes Bild. Die Probanden konnten anhand der mittleren vertikalen Bodenreaktionskräfte sowie der Bodenreaktionskräfte in anterior-posterior Richtung stabil und ausreichend charakterisiert werden. Für die Bodenreaktionskräfte in mediolateraler Richtung und die Kurve der Winkelgeschwindigkeit wurde dies nicht bestätigt. Die Möglichkeit der Charakterisierung der Variabilität eines Probanden konnte zudem verifiziert werden. Durch Beibehaltung der ursprünglichen Messprozedur ist die Wahrscheinlichkeit sehr hoch, dass der begangene Fehler den Ausgang der statistischen Auswertung beeinflusst und damit Eigenschaften der vorliegenden Grundgesamtheit unter Umständen falsch widerspiegelt. Von einer Verwendung des Mittelwertes diskreter Parameter sollte daher abgesehen werden. Der Fehler sowie dessen unbekanntes Ausmaß sind zum Teil unkontrollierbar und dessen Auswirkungen auf weitere biomechanische Kenngrößen nicht überprüfbar. Die Annahme, dass eine Labormessung als valide experimentelle Operationalisierung des Ausdauerlaufens angesehen werden kann, ist damit hinfällig. Es ist zukünftig notwendig, die Erforschung neuer Aufnahme- und Auswerteprozeduren, die alternative Verwendung gesamter Kurven und die Entwicklung neuer Testverfahren zu forcieren.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This thesis combines human and machine intelligence for consensus decision-making, and it contains four interrelated research areas. Before presenting the four research areas, this thesis presents a literature review on decision-making using two criteria: trust and risk. The analysis involves studying the individual and the multi-stakeholder decision-making. Also, it explores the relationship between trust and risk to provide insight on how to apply them when making any decision. This thesis presents a grouping procedure of the existing trust-based multi-stakeholder decision-making schemes by considering the group decision-making process and models. In the first research area, this thesis presents the foundation of building multi-stakeholder consensus decision-making (MSCDM). This thesis describes trust-based multi-stakeholder decision-making for water allocation to help the participants select a solution that comes from the best model. Several criteria are involved when deciding on a solution such as trust, damage, and benefit. This thesis considers Jain's fairness index as an indicator of reaching balance or equality for the stakeholder's needs. The preferred scenario is when having a high trust, low damages and high benefits. The worst scenario involves having low trust, high damage, and low benefit. The model is dynamic by adapting to the changes over time. The decision to select is the solution that is fair for almost everyone. In the second research area, this thesis presents a MSCDM, which is a generic framework that coordinates the decision-making rounds among stakeholders based on their influence toward each other, as represented by the trust relationship among them. This thesis describes the MSCDM framework that helps to find a decision the stakeholders can agree upon. Reaching a consensus decision might require several rounds where stakeholders negotiate by rating each other. This thesis presents the results of implementing MSCDM and evaluates the effect of trust on the consensus achievement and the reduction in the number of rounds needed to reach the final decision. This thesis presents Rating Convergence in the implemented MSCDM framework, and such convergence is a result of changes in the stakeholders' rating behavior in each round. This thesis evaluates the effect of trust on the rating changes by measuring the distance of the choices made by the stakeholders. Trust is useful in decreasing the distances. In the third research area, this thesis presents Rating Convergence in the implemented MSCDM framework, and such convergence is a result of changes in stakeholders' rating behavior in each round. This thesis evaluates the effect of trust on the rating changes by measuring the perturbation in the rating matrix. Trust is useful in increasing the rating matrix perturbation. Such perturbation helps to decrease the number of rounds. Therefore, trust helps to increase the speed of agreeing upon the same decision through the influence. In the fourth research area, this thesis presents Rating Aggregation operators in the implemented MSCDM framework. This thesis addresses the need for aggregating the stakeholders' ratings while they negotiate on the round of decisions to compute the consensus achievement. This thesis presents four aggregation operators: weighted sum (WS), weighted product (WP), weighted product similarity measure (WPSM), and weighted exponent similarity measure (WESM). This thesis studies the performance of those aggregation operators in terms of consensus achievement and the number of rounds needed. The consensus threshold controls the performance of these operators. The contribution of this thesis lays the foundation for developing a framework for MSCDM that facilitates reaching the consensus decision by accounting for the stakeholders' influences toward one another. Trust represents the influence.

O objetivo deste trabalho é explorar um modelo para medidas quânticas de duração finita baseado na equação de Lindblad, com a análise de um sistema de 2 níveis acoplado a um reservatório térmico que ocasiona decoerência. A interação entre o sistema e o dispositivo de medida é markoviana, justificando o uso da equação de Lindblad para obter a dinâmica do processo de medida. Para analisar a influência do ambiente/reservatório térmico não-markoviano, cuja definição não inclui o aparato de medida, foi utilizada a abordagem de Redfield para a interação entre o sistema e o ambiente. Na teoria híbrida aqui exposta, para efetuar o traço parcial dos graus de liberdade do ambiente foi desenvolvido um método analítico baseado na álgebra de super-operadores e no uso dos super-operadores de Nakajima-Zwanzig. Foi verificado que medidas de duração finita sobre o sistema aberto de 2 níveis podem proteger o estado inicial dos efeitos do ambiente, desde que o observável medido não comute com a interação. Quando o observável medido comuta com a interação sistema-ambiente, a medida de duração finita acelera a decoerência induzida pelo ambiente. A validade das previsões analíticas foi testada comparando os resultados com uma abordagem numérica exata. Quando o acoplamento entre o sistema e o aparato de medida excede a faixa de validade da aproximação analítica, o estado inicial ainda é protegido pela medida de duração finita, como indicam os cálculos numéricos exatos. / The aim of this work is to explore a model for finite-time measurement based on the Lindblad equation, with analysis of a system consisting of a 2-level system coupled to a thermal reservoir. We assume a Markovian measuring device and, therefore, use a Lindbladian description for the measurement dynamics. For studying the case of noise produced by a non-Markovian environment, whose definition does not include the measuring apparatus, we use the Redfield approach to the interaction between system and environment. In the present hybrid theory, to trace out the environmental degrees of freedom, we introduce an analytic method based on superoperator algebra and Nakajima-Zwanzig superoperators. We show that measurements of finite duration performed on an open two-state system can protect the initial state from a phase-noisy environment, provided the measured observable does not commute with the perturbing interaction. When the measured observable commutes with the environmental interaction, the finite-duration measurement accelerates the rate of decoherence induced by the phase noise. We have tested the validity of the analytical predictions against an exact numerical approach. When the coupling between the system and the measuring apparatus increases beyond the range of validity of the analytical approximation, the initial state is still protected by the finite-time measurement, according with the exact numerical calculations.

Submitted by Rosivalda Pereira (mrs.pereira@ufma.br) on 2017-08-17T18:07:43Z No. of bitstreams: 1 AnaCarolinaFarias.pdf: 2619448 bytes, checksum: 527d6d61075f9ec94d18e9f864866f3d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-17T18:07:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 AnaCarolinaFarias.pdf: 2619448 bytes, checksum: 527d6d61075f9ec94d18e9f864866f3d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-03-04 / The existing educational process currently uses the computer as an auxiliary tool in the teaching-learning process. This tool has been growining up in the educational field, and this has already been adopted in some schools.The process of educational assessment seeks ways to evaluate to ensure the safety of items and speed and agility in the results, for this the importance of entering the computer to its process.This work deals with the use of computers in the assessment process used with students from 5th grade key associated with the use of Item Response Theory (IRT) in the evaluation process and results.Thus, we developed a web-based assessment module that fostered the development of a test on the computer. The same test was applied to paper and pen so that as a way to experiment is possible with the use of ITR, through software BILOG, evaluate the results and subsequently make a survey of the advantages and disadvantages of entering the computer in the process evaluation, and justify the different behaviors presented by students who submitted the evidence. / O processo educacional existente atualmente utiliza o computador como ferramenta auxiliar no processo de ensino-aprendizagem. Essa ferramenta vem ganhando espaço em âmbito educacional, sendo assim adotada em algumas escolas.O processo de avaliação educacional busca formas de avaliar que garanta a segurança dos itens e a rapidez e agilidade nos resultados, e por isso já destaca a importância de inserir o computador ao seu processo. Este trabalho trata do uso do computador no processo de avaliação aplicado a alunos do 5° ano do ensino fundamental associado ao uso da Teoria de Resposta ao Item no processo de avaliação e obtenção de resultados. Dessa forma, foi proposto o desenvolvimento de um módulo de avaliação online que possibilite a realização de um teste no computador. Este mesmo teste foi aplicado no papel e caneta para que assim, como forma de experimento, seja possível com o uso da TRI e por meio de um recurso computacional, avaliar os resultados e posteriormente fazer um levantamento das vantagens e desvantagens de inserir o computador no processo de avaliação, e justificar os diferentes comportamentos apresentados pelos alunos que se submeteram as provas.

O objetivo deste trabalho é explorar um modelo para medidas quânticas de duração finita baseado na equação de Lindblad, com a análise de um sistema de 2 níveis acoplado a um reservatório térmico que ocasiona decoerência. A interação entre o sistema e o dispositivo de medida é markoviana, justificando o uso da equação de Lindblad para obter a dinâmica do processo de medida. Para analisar a influência do ambiente/reservatório térmico não-markoviano, cuja definição não inclui o aparato de medida, foi utilizada a abordagem de Redfield para a interação entre o sistema e o ambiente. Na teoria híbrida aqui exposta, para efetuar o traço parcial dos graus de liberdade do ambiente foi desenvolvido um método analítico baseado na álgebra de super-operadores e no uso dos super-operadores de Nakajima-Zwanzig. Foi verificado que medidas de duração finita sobre o sistema aberto de 2 níveis podem proteger o estado inicial dos efeitos do ambiente, desde que o observável medido não comute com a interação. Quando o observável medido comuta com a interação sistema-ambiente, a medida de duração finita acelera a decoerência induzida pelo ambiente. A validade das previsões analíticas foi testada comparando os resultados com uma abordagem numérica exata. Quando o acoplamento entre o sistema e o aparato de medida excede a faixa de validade da aproximação analítica, o estado inicial ainda é protegido pela medida de duração finita, como indicam os cálculos numéricos exatos. / The aim of this work is to explore a model for finite-time measurement based on the Lindblad equation, with analysis of a system consisting of a 2-level system coupled to a thermal reservoir. We assume a Markovian measuring device and, therefore, use a Lindbladian description for the measurement dynamics. For studying the case of noise produced by a non-Markovian environment, whose definition does not include the measuring apparatus, we use the Redfield approach to the interaction between system and environment. In the present hybrid theory, to trace out the environmental degrees of freedom, we introduce an analytic method based on superoperator algebra and Nakajima-Zwanzig superoperators. We show that measurements of finite duration performed on an open two-state system can protect the initial state from a phase-noisy environment, provided the measured observable does not commute with the perturbing interaction. When the measured observable commutes with the environmental interaction, the finite-duration measurement accelerates the rate of decoherence induced by the phase noise. We have tested the validity of the analytical predictions against an exact numerical approach. When the coupling between the system and the measuring apparatus increases beyond the range of validity of the analytical approximation, the initial state is still protected by the finite-time measurement, according with the exact numerical calculations.

Need to form a coalition accompanies most of legislative bodies in multi-party systems without directly-elected executive, including party system in the Czech Republic. This thesis analyses coalition building processes and coalitions formed after regional elections in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012. Main goal is to identify what factors, trends and party behaviour patterns affects coalitions bargaining and final form of a coalition. Secondary goal is to evaluate the stability and continuity of these factors and trends. In order to achieve these goals, diachronic and synchronous comparative analyses was used together with quantitative method of voting power measurement. Text is divided into four chapters. First chapter is devoted to discussion about American and European approach to the study of theory of coalitions. Two points of view of motivation of political parties to compete in the elections are presented: Office and Policy seeking. Second part of this chapter is focused on multi-level governance with emphasis on specifics of the coalition formation process and relationships between parliamentary and regional systems. Second chapter presents method of voting power indices. In the third chapter regional political system of Czech Republic, its organs, powers and voting system are described. Final chapter contains the analysis of coalitions and coalition bargaining. Chapter is divided into two parts; one focused on coalition formation in particular regions and second analyzes continuous and long-term factors and trends.

„Nun sag, wie hast du’s mit der Messung im Labor?“ So oder ähnlich lautet die sich anhand dieser Arbeit ergebende Gretchenfrage bezüglich biomechanischer Auswertungen und Studien des Laufsports, welche unter Laborbedingungen durchgeführt werden. Hierbei wird angenommen, dass eine Messung im Labor eine valide experimentelle Operationalisierung des Ausdauerlaufens darstellt. Aufgrund der räumlichen Begrenzung kann lediglich eine vergleichsweise geringe Anzahl an einzelnen Versuchen aufgezeichnet werden. Für die statistische Auswertung werden dann zumeist einzelne Parameter der Zeitreihen berechnet, welche wiederum zusammengefasst durch Mittelwerte den Probanden repräsentieren müssen. Bei der Verwendung von diskreten Parametern reduziert sich die aufgenommene Information der Zeitreihe dabei erheblich. Damit einhergehend muss die Frage geklärt werden, ob die Variabilität eines Probanden anhand diskreter Werte oder anhand der gesamten Kurve Beachtung finden muss. Des Weiteren stellt sich die Frage inwieweit das arithmetische Mittel über eine große Anzahl an Versuchen als die den Probanden repräsentierende Kennzahl verwendet und dessen Variabilität mittels einer endlichen Anzahl an Wiederholungen charakterisiert werden kann. Für die Untersuchungen wurden zunächst zwei Studien durchgeführt, wobei die Aufzeichnung von Bodenreaktionskräften und der Winkelgeschwindigkeit bei 100 Läufen an je zwei Messtagen im Labor erfolgte. Die statistischen Auswertungen umfassen sowohl die Betrachtung der Konvergenz von Folgen kumulierter Mittelwerte, Standardabweichungen und Root Mean Square Errors für diskrete Parameter und die gesamten aufgezeichneten Signale der Bodenreaktionskräfte und Winkelgeschwindigkeit als auch die Untersuchung von Prädiktionsbändern. Zudem wurden unterschiedliche Algorithmen zur Bestimmung der minimalen Anzahl an aufzuzeichnenden Versuchen entwickelt. Diese beinhalten nichtlineare Regressionsmodelle für die Anpassung der kumulierten Fläche der Prädiktionsbänder gesamter Kurven und die Analyse der Differenzen aufeinanderfolgender Standardabweichungskurven. Zusammenfassend geht aus dieser Arbeit hervor, dass die postulierte ausreichende und stabile Charakterisierung eines Probanden anhand des arithmetischen Mittels sowie der vollständigen und soliden Beschreibung der Variabilität für diskrete Parameter nicht nachgewiesen werden konnte. Für gesamte Kurven ergab sich ein anderes Bild. Die Probanden konnten anhand der mittleren vertikalen Bodenreaktionskräfte sowie der Bodenreaktionskräfte in anterior-posterior Richtung stabil und ausreichend charakterisiert werden. Für die Bodenreaktionskräfte in mediolateraler Richtung und die Kurve der Winkelgeschwindigkeit wurde dies nicht bestätigt. Die Möglichkeit der Charakterisierung der Variabilität eines Probanden konnte zudem verifiziert werden. Durch Beibehaltung der ursprünglichen Messprozedur ist die Wahrscheinlichkeit sehr hoch, dass der begangene Fehler den Ausgang der statistischen Auswertung beeinflusst und damit Eigenschaften der vorliegenden Grundgesamtheit unter Umständen falsch widerspiegelt. Von einer Verwendung des Mittelwertes diskreter Parameter sollte daher abgesehen werden. Der Fehler sowie dessen unbekanntes Ausmaß sind zum Teil unkontrollierbar und dessen Auswirkungen auf weitere biomechanische Kenngrößen nicht überprüfbar. Die Annahme, dass eine Labormessung als valide experimentelle Operationalisierung des Ausdauerlaufens angesehen werden kann, ist damit hinfällig. Es ist zukünftig notwendig, die Erforschung neuer Aufnahme- und Auswerteprozeduren, die alternative Verwendung gesamter Kurven und die Entwicklung neuer Testverfahren zu forcieren.

<div>This thesis combines human and machine intelligence for consensus decision-making, and it contains four interrelated research areas. Before presenting the four research areas, this thesis presents a literature review on decision-making using two criteria: trust and risk. The analysis involves studying the individual and the multi-stakeholder decision-making. Also, it explores the relationship between trust and risk to provide insight on how to apply them when making any decision. This thesis presents a grouping procedure of the existing trust-based multi-stakeholder decision-making schemes by considering the group decision-making process and models. In the first research area, this thesis presents the foundation of building multi-stakeholder consensus decision-making (MSCDM). This thesis describes trust-based multi-stakeholder decision-making for water allocation to help the participants select a solution that comes from the best model. Several criteria are involved when deciding on a solution such as trust, damage, and benefit. This thesis considers Jain's fairness index as an indicator of reaching balance or equality for the stakeholder's needs. The preferred scenario is when having a high trust, low damages and high benefits. The worst scenario involves having low trust, high damage, and low benefit. The model is dynamic by adapting to the changes over time. The decision to select is the solution that is fair for almost everyone. In the second research area, this thesis presents a MSCDM, which is a generic framework that coordinates the decision-making rounds among stakeholders based on their influence toward each other, as represented by the trust relationship among them. This thesis describes the MSCDM framework that helps to find a decision the stakeholders can agree upon. Reaching a consensus decision might require several rounds where stakeholders negotiate by rating each other. This thesis presents the results of implementing MSCDM and evaluates the effect of trust on the consensus achievement and the reduction in the number of rounds needed to reach the final decision. This thesis presents Rating Convergence in the implemented MSCDM framework, and such convergence is a result of changes in the stakeholders' rating behavior in each round. This thesis evaluates the effect of trust on the rating changes by measuring the distance of the choices made by the stakeholders. Trust is useful in decreasing the distances. In the third research area, this thesis presents Rating Convergence in the implemented MSCDM framework, and such convergence is a result of changes in stakeholders' rating behavior in each round. This thesis evaluates the effect of trust on the rating changes by measuring the perturbation in the rating matrix. Trust is useful in increasing the rating matrix perturbation. Such perturbation helps to decrease the number of rounds. Therefore, trust helps to increase the speed of agreeing upon the same decision through the influence. In the fourth research area, this thesis presents Rating Aggregation operators in the implemented MSCDM framework. This thesis addresses the need for aggregating the stakeholders' ratings while they negotiate on the round of decisions to compute the consensus achievement. This thesis presents four aggregation operators: weighted sum (WS), weighted product (WP), weighted product similarity measure (WPSM), and weighted exponent similarity measure (WESM). This thesis studies the performance of those aggregation operators in terms of consensus achievement and the number of rounds needed. The consensus threshold controls the performance of these operators. The contribution of this thesis lays the foundation for developing a framework for MSCDM that facilitates reaching the consensus decision by accounting for the stakeholders' influences toward one another. Trust represents the influence.</div>