Mitigating Popularity Bias in Fair and Explainable Recommender Systems Using SHAP

Year 2025, Volume: 13 Issue: 3, 1180 - 1199, 31.07.2025

Tuğba Türkoğlu Kaya

https://doi.org/10.29130/dubited.1667105

Abstract

Popularity bias is a prevalent issue in recommendation systems, where popular items dominate recommendation lists, leading to reduced diversity and fairness. Traditional methods evaluate popularity bias based on overall item frequency, disregarding individual user tendencies. This study introduces a novel post-processing ranking method called Dynamic User Tendency Re-ranking (DUTR) to mitigate popularity bias in multi-criteria recommendation systems by incorporating user-specific preferences. DUTR leverages SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) analysis to determine the influence of different criteria on user decision-making. Unlike conventional methods, which classify item popularity based on general trends, DUTR dynamically assesses each user's priority preferences. It then classifies items as popular or less popular based on individual preference patterns. This approach ensures that recommendation lists align more closely with user-specific interests while maintaining a balance between popular and less popular items. To validate the effectiveness of DUTR, extensive experiments were conducted on the YM10 and YM20 datasets. The results show that DUTR significantly reduces popularity bias while improving diversity and fairness in recommendations. Moreover, the integration of SHAP values enhances the explainability of the recommendation process, providing users with personalized and transparent suggestions. In conclusion, comparative analysis with existing techniques demonstrates that DUTR outperforms traditional methods in balancing popularity and personalization.

Keywords

Recommender systems , Popularity bias , User tendency , SHAP , Multi-criteria systems

Adil ve Açıklanabilir Öneri Sistemlerinde SHAP ile Popülerlik Yanlılığını Giderme

Abstract

Popülerlik yanlılığı, öneri sistemlerinde yaygın bir sorundur; popüler öğeler öneri listelerine hakim olur ve bu durum çeşitliliğin ve adaletin azalmasına neden olur. Geleneksel yöntemler popülerlik yanlılığını genel öğe sıklığına göre değerlendirirken, bireysel kullanıcı eğilimlerini göz ardı etmektedir. Bu çalışma, çok kriterli öneri sistemlerinde popülerlik yanlılığını azaltmak amacıyla, kullanıcıya özgü tercihler içeren yeni bir son işlem sıralama yöntemi olan Dinamik Kullanıcı Eğilimi Yeniden Sıralama (DUTR) yöntemini önermektedir. DUTR, kullanıcıların karar verme süreçlerinde farklı kriterlerin etkisini belirlemek için SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) analizinden yararlanmaktadır. Geleneksel yöntemler öğelerin popülerliğini genel eğilimlere göre sınıflandırırken, DUTR her kullanıcının öncelikli tercihlerini dinamik olarak değerlendirmektedir. Daha sonra, bireysel tercih kalıplarına göre öğeleri popüler veya daha az popüler olarak sınıflandırmaktadır. Bu yaklaşım, öneri listelerinin kullanıcıların özel ilgi alanlarıyla daha iyi örtüşmesini sağlarken, popüler ve daha az popüler öğeler arasında bir denge oluşturmayı hedeflemektedir. DUTR'nin etkinliğini doğrulamak için YM10 ve YM20 veri setleri üzerinde kapsamlı deneyler gerçekleştirilmiştir. Sonuçlar, DUTR'nin popülerlik yanlılığını önemli ölçüde azalttığını ve önerilerin çeşitliliğini ve adaletini artırdığını göstermektedir. Ayrıca, SHAP değerlerinin entegrasyonu, öneri sürecinin açıklanabilirliğini geliştirerek kullanıcılara kişiselleştirilmiş ve şeffaf öneriler sunmaktadır. Sonuç olarak, mevcut tekniklerle yapılan karşılaştırmalı analizler, DUTR'nin popülerlik ve kişiselleştirme arasında denge sağlamada geleneksel yöntemlerden daha başarılı olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır.

Keywords

Öneri sistemleri , Popüler yanlılığı , Kullanıcı eğilimi , SHAP , Çok ölçütlü sistemler

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