The aim of this paper is to extend the decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) to an uncertain linguistic environment. The DEMATEL method is an effective tool for analyzing correlation among factors using crisp values. However, in many real lives situation, the decision data of human judgments with favourite are often vague and uncertain so that the usual ways of using crisp values are inadequate. In this paper, the correlation information among factors provided by experts is in the form of uncertain linguistic term and it is transformed into octagonal fuzzy number. Procedure of fuzzy extension of the DEMATEL is proposed. An empirical study to analyze the cause and effects of youth aggressiveness is also presented to illustrate the procedure of the proposed method.

decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL), causal analysis, uncertain linguistic term, octagonal fuzzy number.