When higher bars are not larger quantities: On individual differences in the use of spatial information in graph comprehension

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-1-2012

Abstract

Graphical displays use spatial relations to convey meaning, facilitating the communication of quantitative information. However, information conveyed by spatial features can conflict with that conveyed by features linked to arbitrary conventions (e.g., axes labels or scales), leading to misinterpretations. Here, we investigated the role of individual differences in graph literacy on the interpretation of health-related bar graphs containing such conflicts. Individuals with low graph literacy were more often biased by spatial-to-conceptual mappings grounded in their real world experience, neglecting information in titles of graphs, axes labels and scales. Implications for perspectives on embodied cognition and effective graphical design are discussed. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Publication Title

Spatial Cognition and Computation

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