Accuracy of the estimates of data presented in various forms of graphic charts

Katić, Kristijan. (2013). Accuracy of the estimates of data presented in various forms of graphic charts. Diploma Thesis. Filozofski fakultet u Zagrebu, Department of Psychology. [mentor Ivanec, Dragutin].

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Abstract

In the modern business and scientific environment today information on various data usually is presented by graphic charts. Development of computer programs enabled visualization of data in a number of ways. The aim of this study was to verify the accuracy of the estimates of dana presented in different types of graphic charts. The research involved three independent variables that were related to variations of common forms of presentation: (1) types of graphic charts with three variations: a) columns, b) bars, c) line charts; (2) number of values that were presented in a chart: a) 3 values, b) 5 values; (3) dimensionality of a chart: a) two-dimensional, b) three-dimensional. Combining the described levels of independent variables 12 experimental situations were created and each participant went through all of them. The task of the participants was to make an estimate of the absolute value of each category of information presented, on a scale of 0 to 100. The measure of the dependent variable, i.e. the estimate accuracy error, was obtained by subtracting the true values from the values assessed by participants. The results showed that there is no difference in the accuracy of the estimates between these types of graphic charts. Likewise, there was no difference between two-dimensional and three-dimensional charts. There was, however, a difference considering the number of displayed categories where, as expected, the task appeared more difficult when larger number of categories of data is displayed. Out of 4 possible interaction effects three were statistically significant, where the impact of the main effects is visible after all.

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