, ▁China )", ▁or ▁"( 1 9 th ▁century , ▁Germany ) ". ▁ ▁Sh a fer ' s ▁framework ▁allows ▁for ▁belief ▁about ▁such ▁propos itions ▁to ▁be ▁represented ▁as ▁intervals , ▁bounded ▁by ▁two ▁values , ▁belief ▁( or ▁support ) ▁and ▁pla us ibility : ▁ ▁belief ▁ ≤ ▁pla us ibility . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁first ▁step , ▁subject ive ▁prob abilities ▁( mass es ) ▁are ▁assigned ▁to ▁all ▁subsets ▁of ▁the ▁frame ; ▁usually , ▁only ▁a ▁restricted ▁number ▁of ▁sets ▁will ▁have ▁non - zero ▁mass ▁( f ocal ▁elements ). ▁Bel ief ▁in ▁a ▁hypothesis ▁is ▁constit uted ▁by ▁the ▁sum ▁of ▁the ▁masses ▁of ▁all ▁subsets ▁of ▁the ▁hypothesis - set . ▁It ▁is ▁the ▁amount ▁of ▁belief ▁that ▁directly ▁supports ▁either ▁the ▁given ▁hypothesis ▁or ▁a ▁more ▁specific ▁one , ▁thus ▁forming ▁a ▁lower ▁bound ▁on ▁its ▁probability . ▁ ▁Bel ief ▁( us ually ▁denoted ▁Bel ) ▁measures ▁the ▁strength ▁of ▁the ▁evidence ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁a ▁proposition ▁p . ▁ ▁It ▁ranges ▁from ▁ 0 ▁( ind ic ating ▁no ▁evidence ) ▁to ▁ 1 ▁( den oting ▁certain ty ). ▁ ▁Pla us ibility ▁is ▁ 1 ▁minus ▁the ▁sum ▁of ▁the ▁masses ▁of ▁all ▁sets ▁whose ▁intersection ▁with ▁the ▁hypothesis ▁is ▁empty . ▁Or , ▁it ▁can ▁be ▁obtained ▁as ▁the ▁sum ▁of ▁the ▁masses ▁of ▁all ▁sets ▁whose ▁intersection ▁with ▁the ▁hypothesis ▁is ▁not ▁empty . ▁It ▁is ▁an ▁upper ▁bound ▁on ▁the ▁possibility ▁that ▁the ▁hypothesis ▁could