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Asymmetric Shape Variability Biases Proportion Judgments With Icon Arrays.

Douglas B Markant1

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Icon arrays effectively communicate risk, but shape variations can distort probability perception in random arrangements. Grouped icon arrays ensure accurate risk perception, unaffected by shape changes.

Keywords:
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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Information Visualization
  • Risk Communication

Background:

  • Icon arrays are widely used for communicating risk and uncertainty to the public.
  • Prior research indicates icon arrays can improve probability perception compared to other formats.
  • Little is known about how icon array design, specifically perceptual characteristics and spatial arrangement, influences risk perception.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how icon shape variability and spatial arrangement in icon arrays affect proportion judgment and risk perception.
  • To build on visual perception research suggesting shape variation impacts perceived numerosity.

Main Methods:

  • Three experiments were conducted using a proportion judgment task.
  • Icon arrays varied in spatial arrangement (grouped vs. random configurations).
  • Icon arrays also varied in shape variability within target and non-target categories.

Main Results:

  • Proportion judgments were highly accurate for grouped icon arrays, irrespective of shape variability.
  • For random arrangements, irrelevant shape variability in one category biased proportion judgments.
  • Biased judgments increased perceived quantity for the category with shape-varied elements.

Conclusions:

  • Perceptual variations in icon shape, though irrelevant to the task, can significantly alter quantity perception in icon arrays.
  • Findings provide crucial insights for designing icon arrays to improve accurate risk communication.
  • Grouped configurations are recommended for reliable risk perception, while random configurations require careful design to avoid perceptual biases.