Computerized Information Systems Supporting Multicriteria Decision Making*

This paper addresses two issues critical to the success of decision support systems in multiattribute/multicriteria decision‐making contexts. A relationship is established between normative (prescriptive) work in the area of multicriteria decision making and behavioral (descriptive) decision research involving choice strategies. A conceptual system architecture based on the state‐space approach to problem solving is presented. This architecture will enable decision makers to incorporate both prescriptive and descriptive strategies in the course of computer‐aided multiple alternative/attribute problem resolution.