The effect of aesthetic visual properties on the comprehension of data visualizations
Date of Publication
2018
Document Type
Bachelor's Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering
College
Gokongwei College of Engineering
Department/Unit
Industrial and Systems Engineering
Thesis Adviser
Rosemary R. Seva
Defense Panel Chair
Jose Edgar S. Mutuc
Defense Panel Member
Jazmin Chong Tangsoc
Abstract/Summary
Data visualizations provide a useful way of conveying information to its viewers and communicating data in any discipline. Its literature suggests that the use of aesthetics tend to enhance cognitive aspects involving memorability, recognition and recall, and engagement of viewers. However, previous works have not considered how visual properties-- which represent the aesthetic feature of a data visualization -- affect the comprehension of users in terms of its intrinsic aspect. The study aims to determine the effects of visual properties-- color and distance-- on the intrinsic aspect of comprehension specifically on multiple-time series line charts (or temporal visualizations) with respect to trend-detection tasks. In this study, visual properties of graphs (color and distance) were manipulated in terms of hue, color lightness, and the horizontal distance between points (in cm) to create monochrome and multi-hue palettes and graphs that vary in aspect ratios. These were tested through three within-subjects experiments that were encoded as a questionnaire in a computer program that measured their response times (RT) and accuracy. Eighty-eight participants classified as engineering and non-engineering students performed four trend-detection tasks on these experiments. No significant difference in the comprehension between these two groups were found. Overall, the green monochrome palette, multi-hue palettes having 75% lightness level, and wide level (2.50 cm between data points) were the settings that had the best performance. Insights on these results were attributed to the various physiological and psychological aspects of human vision such as the sensitivity of the rods and cones with respect to color variation and lightness and the gestalt principle of connectedness. The task type also affected the results complex task types such as discrimination yielded lower performance.
Abstract Format
html
Language
English
Format
Accession Number
TU17370
Shelf Location
Archives, The Learning Commons, 12F, Henry Sy Sr. Hall
Physical Description
244 leaves : illustrations (some color) ; 29 cm.
Keywords
Information visualization
Recommended Citation
Chinjen, K. K., Estoista, N. P., & Wu, J. G. (2018). The effect of aesthetic visual properties on the comprehension of data visualizations. Retrieved from https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/7537