Comprehension Of Graphics

COMPREHENSION OF GRAPHICS Wolfgang SCHNOTZ Institute of Psychology Friedrich Schiller University of Jena Jena, Germany Raymond W. KULHAVY College of Education Division of Psychology in Education Arizona State University Tempe, AZ, USA 1994 NORTH-HOLLAND AMSTERDAM LONDON NEW YORK TOKYO NORTH-HOLLAND ELSEVIER SCIENCE B.V. Sara Burgerhartstraat 25 P.0. Box 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, The Netherlands ISBN: 0 444 81792 I 0 1994 Elsevier Science R.V. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted i n any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, Elsevier Science R.V., Copyright & Permissions Department, P.O. Box 521, 1000 AM Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Special regulations for readers in the U.S.A. - This publication has been registered with the Copyright Clearance Center Inc. (CCC). Salem. Massachusetts. Information can be obtained from the CCC about conditions under which photocopies of parts of this publication may be made in the U.S.A. All other copyright questions. including photocopying outside of the U.S.A., should be referred to the publisher. No responsibility is assumed by the publisher for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a matter of products liability, negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions or ideas contained in the material herein. pp. 227-250: Copyright not transferred. This book is printed on acid-free paper. Eanrferred to digital printing 2006 With Contributions by Linda C. Caterino, Michel Denis, Giinter Don-, Johannes Engelkamp, August Fenk, Marie-Dominique Gineste, Camilla Gobbo, Valerie Gyselinck, Michael Henninger, John R. Kirby, Raymond W. Kulhavy, Abdellatif Laroui, Ulla Maichle, Richard E. Mayer, Mark A. McDaniel, Gilbert Mohr, Phillip J. Moore, Joan Peeck, Emmanuel Picard, FridCrique Robin, Jill Scevak, Wolfgang Schnotz, Norbert M. Seel, William A. Stock, Hubert Tardieu, Paula J. Waddill, Bernd Weidenmann, William Winn, Hubert D. Zimmer. Michael Zock This page intentionally left blank Preface Graphic displays like charts, graphs, diagrams, and maps play today an important role in the design and presentation of instructional materials education. There is also a strong need in scientific, technical and administrative fields to visually present certain facts, laws, principles etc. In recent years, the use of computer-based learning environments has also become an important field where the visual presentation of information plays a central role. Despite the importance of graphical displays as a means of communication and despite the fact that research about learning and cognition has advanced rapidly in the last two decades, the comprehension of graphics is still a rather unexplored area. Many studies have shown that graphics can make communication and learning more effective, but we have only recently begun to understand better why and under what conditions they are really effective. The comprehension of graphics is not only a stimulating topic in the fields of science and instructional psychology, but also of related disciplines like semiotics, and artificial intelligence. Research on the comprehension of graphics complements the scientific investigation of cognitive processes in text comprehension, which has contributed much to our understanding of human cognition and learning. Ultimately, a better understanding of the cognitive processes involved in the comprehension of graphics will have an impact not only on cognitive theory, but also on educational practice. In order to stimulate theoretical and applied research on comprehension of graphics, a conference on Comprehension of G