Minding the Gap: A Quantitative Comparison of Distance Perception on Open vs. Closed Circles

Area of Science:

• Data Visualization
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Radial visualizations use angle or arc length to encode data dimensions.
• The radial axis implies similarity between data points via proximity.
• Visualizations employ open (gapped) or closed (full circle) circular axes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine which circular axis type (open or closed) better supports human perception of proximity.
• To provide empirical evidence for selecting appropriate axis types in radial visualizations.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative, task-driven experiment was conducted with 28 participants.
• Participants performed low-level tasks (identify, compare, summarize) on open and closed circular axes.
• Accuracy and response time were measured to evaluate distance perception.

Main Results:

• The study identified differences in human distance perception between open and closed circular axes.
• Quantitative data on accuracy and response time were collected for various tasks.
• Results offer insights into the effectiveness of each axis type for specific visualization goals.

Conclusions:

• Empirically grounded guidelines for selecting open versus closed circular axes were developed.
• Findings inform the design of radial visualizations to enhance user perception of data similarity.
• Further research is suggested based on preliminary post-hoc analysis insights.