Does Guiding Toward Task-Relevant Information Help Improve Graph Processing and Graph Comprehension of Individuals with Low or High Numeracy? An Eye-Tracker Experiment.
BACKGROUND
Individuals with low numeracy have difficulties with understanding complex graphs. Combining the information-processing approach to numeracy with graph comprehension and information-reduction theories, we examined whether high numerates' better comprehension might be explained by their closer attention to task-relevant graphical elements, from which they would expect numerical information to understand the graph. Furthermore, we investigated whether participants could be trained in improving their attention to task-relevant information and graph comprehension.


DESIGN
In an eye-tracker experiment ( N = 110) involving a sample from the general population, we presented participants with 2 hypothetical scenarios (stomach cancer, leukemia) showing survival curves for 2 treatments. In the training condition, participants received written instructions on how to read the graph. In the control condition, participants received another text. We tracked participants' eye movements while they answered 9 knowledge questions. The sum constituted graph comprehension. We analyzed visual attention to task-relevant graphical elements by using relative fixation durations and relative fixation counts.


RESULTS
The mediation analysis revealed a significant ( P < 0.05) indirect effect of numeracy on graph comprehension through visual attention to task-relevant information, which did not differ between the 2 conditions. Training had a significant main effect on visual attention ( P < 0.05) but not on graph comprehension ( P < 0.07).


CONCLUSIONS
Individuals with high numeracy have better graph comprehension due to their greater attention to task-relevant graphical elements than individuals with low numeracy. With appropriate instructions, both groups can be trained to improve their graph-processing efficiency. Future research should examine (e.g., motivational) mediators between visual attention and graph comprehension to develop appropriate instructions that also result in higher graph comprehension.
['Keller|Carmen|C|', 'Junghans|Alex|A|']
D001288:Attention D032882:Comprehension D005133:Eye Movements D005260:Female D005403:Fixation, Ocular D006801:Humans D007938:Leukemia D008297:Male D013274:Stomach Neoplasms D016019:Survival Analysis D013647:Task Performance and Analysis
graph comprehension numeracy training survival curve visual attention