< Back to previous page

Project

Misinterpreting statistical graphs: A search for the underlying mechanisms using a dual processing approach.

Statistical graphs, like histograms and bar charts, are omnipresent in today’s society, education, and academics. They are taught from primary school until university. Despite the many efforts concerning the teaching of these graphs, research has shown that people of all ages and levels of expertise struggle with their interpretation. This can lead to incorrect conclusions and decisions. In this research project we aim at getting a better insight at the way people process these graphs. By doing this we hope to find ways of improving people’s interpretation of graphs, either by education or by optimizing the design of the statistical graphs themselves. We will use the dual processing theory of reasoning as our framework. According to this theory, when trying to solve a certain task, one starts with a very fast, intuitive interpretation, which is not always the correct one. In some cases, one is able to improve this interpretation by analytic reasoning and still find the correct response. We will study the underlying reasoning mechanisms of the interpretation of statistical graphs in three related studies. First, we will analyze the effect of task characteristics on the likelihood of finding the correct response. Second, we will look at the influence of the initial heuristic processing on the whole reasoning process, both before and after a teaching intervention. Third, we will study the influence of one particular task feature, namely the exact wording of the tasks.

Date:1 Oct 2014 →  17 Sep 2018
Keywords:Underlying mechanisms using
Disciplines:Biological and physiological psychology, General psychology, Other psychology and cognitive sciences