Skip to main content
Log in

Connecting Dempster–Shafer Belief Functions with Likelihood-based Inference

  • Published:
Synthese Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Dempster–Shafer approach to expressing beliefabout a parameter in a statistical model is notconsistent with the likelihood principle. Thisinconsistency has been recognized for some time, andmanifests itself as a non-commutativity, in which theorder of operations (combining belief, combininglikelihood) makes a difference. It is proposed herethat requiring the expression of belief to be committed to the model (and to certain of itssubmodels) makes likelihood inference very nearly aspecial case of the Dempster–Shafer theory.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Birnbaum, A.: 1962, 'On the Foundations of Statistical Inference' (with discussion), Journal of the American Statistical Association 57, 269–326.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clayton, D. and M. Hills: 1993, Statistical Models in Epidemiology, Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Edwards, A. W. F.: 1972, Likelihood, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Royall, R. M.: 1997, Statistical Evidence: A Likelihood Paradigm, Chapman and Hall, London, UK.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shafer, G.: 1976, A Mathematical Theory of Evidence, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shafer, G.: 1982, 'Belief Functions and Parametric Models' (with discussion), Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series B 44, 322–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yager, R. R., J. Kacprzyk, M. Fedrizzi (eds.): 1994, Advances in the Dempster-Shafer Theory of Evidence, John Wiley & Sons, New York, NY.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Aickin, M. Connecting Dempster–Shafer Belief Functions with Likelihood-based Inference. Synthese 123, 347–364 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005287422506

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005287422506

Keywords

Navigation