Ulrike Aust, Friederike Range, Michael Steurer, Ludwig Huber
Inferential reasoning by exclusion in pigeons, dogs, and humans
Animal cognition
people differ whether understand graphical numerical representations statistical information better however assessing skills often feasible deciding representation select use study investigates whether people choose representation understand better whether choice improve risk comprehension whether results influenced participants skills graph literacy numeracy experiment 160 participants received information benefits side effects painkillers using either numerical graphical representation choice condition representation randomly assigned participant choice condition participants could select representation would like receive study assessed gist verbatim knowledge immediate comprehension recall accessibility information attractiveness representation well graph literacy numeracy choice condition 625 chose graphical format yet difference graph literacy numeracy age gender people chose graphical numerical format whereas choice slightly increased verbatim knowledge improve gist overall knowledge compared random assignment however participants chose representation rated representation attractive chose graphs rated accessible without choice sample consisted highly educated undergraduate students higher graph literacy general population task inconsequential participants terms health people choose representations fail identify comprehend better largely base choice attractive representation people differ systematically whether understand graphical numerical representations statistical information better however assessing underlying skills get right representation right people feasible practice simple efficient method achieve could let people choose among representations themselveshowever study showed allowing participants choose representation numerical v graphical improve overall gist knowledge compared determining representation randomly even though slightly improve verbatim knowledgerather participants largely chose representation found attractive preferred graphical representation including low graph literacyit would therefore important develop graphical representations attractive also comprehensible even people low graph literacy