Visual routines are associated with specific graph interpretations.

ABSTRACT: We argue that people compare values in graphs with a visual routine - attending to data values in an ordered pattern over time. Do these visual routines exist to manage capacity limitations in how many values can be encoded at once, or do they actually affect the relations that are extracted? We measured eye movements while people judged configurations of a two-bar graph based on size only ("[short tall] or [tall short]?") and contrast only ("[light dark] or [dark light]?"). Participants exhibited visual routines in which they systematically attended to a specific feature (or "anchor point") in the graph; in the size task, most participants inspected the taller bar first, and in the contrast task, most participants attended to the darker bar first. Participants then judged configura

SUBMITTER: Michal AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5357663 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature