Visual context and affect in diagram interpretation

Abstract

Graphical displays of scientific information (graphs, plots, diagrams etc.) play a vital role in the communication of science, both among researchers and more broadly with non-scientists. Research into the interpretation of science graphics tends to focus on comprehension and information transfer. The findings of such research support a general trend toward reductionist diagram designs, the reasoning being that a focused design, unencumbered by extraneous details, allows the viewer to concentrate on the target information without unwanted distractions. There has been relatively little attention paid to emotional or attitudinal responses to diagrams, despite the fact that this may be significant for communicators aiming to stimulate interest, influence attitudes, or motivate action. Furthermore, contextualisation of science instruction is thought to be important for motivation, interest, and academic performance, however the general trend in diagram design—to remove the extraneous—leads to a removal of context from diagrams. The research reported in this thesis takes the specific case of biological life cycle diagrams to explore the impact of visual context on affect. The thesis consists of two qualitative focus group studies to explore viewer responses to context in diagrams, and a large-scale quantitative between-groups comparison survey to test findings from the focus groups and examine the impacts of context in more detail. Due to the inherent complexity of diagram interpretation and the exploratory nature of the project, findings were highly nuanced. However there were clear signs that context was associated with emotional and attitudinal aspects of diagram interpretation. Specifically, context appeared to encourage an elevated sense of empathy with, and concern for the animal portrayed in diagrams, along with a greater sense of relevanceof the information. A number of individual participant characteristics that influenced response to context were also identified. Implications of the specific findings of this research for the communication of scientific topics are discussed, along with broader implications for research into diagram interpretation.