2021/08/04 by Kyle Wm. Hall, Anthony Kouroupis, Hall, Kyle Wm. +7
Computer Science · #Data Visualization and Analytics #FOS: Computer and information sciences #Graphics (cs.GR) #H.5.0 #H.5.2 #Human-Computer Interaction (cs.HC) #I.3.0
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2108.02333
openalex publication_date 2021/08/04 · openalex created_date 2022/07/25 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Problem-driven visualization work is rooted in deeply understanding the data,\nactors, processes, and workflows of a target domain. However, an individual's\npersonality traits and cognitive abilities may also influence visualization\nuse. Diverse user needs and abilities raise natural questions for specificity\nin visualization design: Could individuals from different domains exhibit\nperformance differences when using visualizations? Are any systematic\nvariations related to their cognitive abilities? This study bridges\ndomain-specific perspectives on visualization design with those provided by\ncognition and perception. We measure variations in visualization task\nperformance across chemistry, computer science, and education, and relate these\ndifferences to variations in spatial ability. We conducted an online study with\nover 60 domain experts consisting of tasks related to pie charts, isocontour\nplots, and 3D scatterplots, and grounded by a well-documented spatial ability\ntest. Task performance (correctness) varied with profession across more complex\nvisualizations, but not pie charts, a comparatively common visualization. We\nfound that correctness correlates with spatial ability, and the professions\ndiffer in terms of spatial ability. These results indicate that domains differ\nnot only in the specifics of their data and tasks, but also in terms of how\neffectively their constituent members engage with visualizations and their\ncognitive traits. Analyzing participants' confidence and strategy comments\nsuggests that focusing on performance neglects important nuances, such as\ndiffering approaches to engage with even common visualizations and potential\nskill transference. Our findings offer a fresh perspective on\ndiscipline-specific visualization with recommendations to help guide\nvisualization design that celebrates the uniqueness of the disciplines and\nindividuals we seek to serve.\n