Table 1 The pairwise comparison scale.
Intensity of
importance
Definition Explanation
1 Equal importance Two activities contribute equally to the objective
3 Weak importance Experience and judgment slightly favor one activity over another
activity over another
5 Strong importance Experience and judgment strongly favor one
7 Very strong importance An activity is favoured very strongly over another; its dominance
demonstrated in practice.
9 Extremely importance The evidence favoring one activity over another is of the highest
possible order of affirmation
2, 4, 6, and 8 Intermediate values between adjacent scale values Compromise is needed between two judgement