{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,28]],"date-time":"2026-07-28T10:51:36Z","timestamp":1785235896350,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,8,19]],"date-time":"2020-08-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1597795200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Symmetry"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Over the past few decades, several researchers and professionals have focused on the development and application of multi-criteria group decision making (MCGDM) methods under a fuzzy environment in different areas and disciplines. This complex research area has become one of the more popular topics, and it seems that this trend will be increasing. In this paper, we propose a new MCGDM approach combining intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs) and the Characteristic Object Method (COMET) for solving the group decision making (GDM) problems. The COMET method is resistant to the rank reversal phenomenon, and at the same time it remains relatively simple and intuitive in practical problems. This method can be used for both symmetric and asymmetric information. The Triangular Intuitionistic Fuzzy Numbers (TIFNs) have been used to handle uncertain data. This concept can ensure the preference information about an alternative under specific criteria more comprehensively and allows for easy modelling of symmetrical or asymmetrical linguistic values. Each expert provides the membership and non-membership degree values of intuitionistic fuzzy numbers (IFNs). So this approach deals with a different kind of uncertainty than with hesitant fuzzy sets (HFSs). The proposed combination of COMET and IFSs required an adaptation of the matrix of expert judgment (MEJ) and allowed to capture the behaviour aspects of the decision makers (DMs). Therefore, we get more reliable solutions while solving MCGDM problems. Finally, the proposed method is presented in a simple academic example.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/sym12091382","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,8,19]],"date-time":"2020-08-19T21:37:40Z","timestamp":1597873060000},"page":"1382","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":62,"title":["Intuitionistic Fuzzy Sets in Multi-Criteria Group Decision Making Problems Using the Characteristic Objects Method"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Shahzad","family":"Faizi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mathematics, Virtual University of Pakistan, Lahore 54000, Pakistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7076-2519","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wojciech","family":"Sa\u0142abun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Team on Intelligent Decision Support Systems, Department of Artificial Intelligence Methods and Applied Mathematics, Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin ul. \u017bo\u0142nierska 49, 71-210 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tabasam","family":"Rashid","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mathematics, University of Management and Technology, Lahore 54770, Pakistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sohail","family":"Zafar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Mathematics, University of Management and Technology, Lahore 54770, Pakistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4415-9414","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jaros\u0142aw","family":"W\u0105tr\u00f3bski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Faculty of Economics, Finance and Management of the University of Szczecin, Mickiewicza 64, 71-101 Szczecin, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,8,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"151","DOI":"10.5937\/sjm10-7223","article-title":"Modification of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method using fuzzy logic: Fuzzy AHP approach as a support to the decision making process concerning engagement of the group for additional hindering","volume":"10","year":"2015","journal-title":"Serbian J. 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