Warren Smith writes: << I don't much care what range you use, but there was some thought put into the question of what range was psychologically best... >>
As with many other issues regarding voting methods, this one can't be decided entirely through logical analysis. Empirical studies are needed, using methods that social scientists have developed but that most mathematicians aren't very familiar with and haven't used very much. Furthermore, there is almost certainly no single "best" answer. It will depend on a number of factors, including the the system used for recording and tabulating votes (paper ballots, voting machines, counting hands in meetings, etc.) and the importance of the issue being decided. In meetings, when voting on relatively routine issues, a range of +1, 0, and -1 may be best in most cases. There is also the question of whether ranges involving equal numbers of positive and negative integers are generally better or worse than ranges with no negative numbers. Some ranges may turn out to be much better or worse than others, at least for some purposes. -Ralph Suter ---- election-methods mailing list - see http://electorama.com/em for list info
