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Experimental Research Examining How People Can Cope with Uncertainty Through Soft Haptic Sensations
Published on: September 16, 2015
Engaging with uncertainty when engagement is uncertain
1Toiminimi Nuria Altimir, Turku, Finland.
Abstract:
Uncertainty is intrinsic to scientific measurement, modelling, and forecasting, yet data visualization practices typically frame uncertainty communication as a task-oriented problem requiring statistical literacy. As a result, uncertainty is rarely leveraged as a resource for engagement, curiosity, or learning, especially for non-expert and non-motivated audiences. This paper examines uncertainty communication through the lens of data visualization design, drawing on cognitive psychology and aesthetic theory. Intuitive, gist-based encodings can reduce cognitive load, support pre-attentive processing, and foster reflective engagement. Adopting such encodings more broadly could advance uncertainty literacy and enable visualizations that are both epistemically rigorous and experientially engaging. Achieving this requires closer integration between statistical thinking and design practice.
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