An agent-based cognitive mapping system for sales opportunity analysis

► The principal objective of this study, then, was to, first, determine the number of nodes that constitute a CM; second, to extract the cause-and-effect relationships among the nodes; and third, to devise an objective and systematic approach by which the causality coefficient within a single framework can be obtained. ► Our study adopts a CM-based mechanism referred to as the agent-based cognitive mapping system (ABCMS). ► In order to extract effectively the three key elements of a CM, this study introduces the concepts of the multi-agent system (MAS) and particle swarm optimization (PSO), which allow for the construction of an ABCMS with a flexible and dynamic mechanism.