Celebration of Scholars
Human Eye Movements: Patterns of Saccadic Eye Movements and Fixation in “Reading” Graphical Data
Name:
Holly Pelnar
Major: Psychology
Hometown: Tinley Park, IL
Faculty Sponsor:
Leslie Cameron
Other Sponsors: Robbins, Arryn
Type of research: SURE
Funding: SURE
Abstract
It is widely known that the more experience one has, the greater their ability will be to perform a set task. This statement holds true for an individual’s ability to read and interpret graphs. In previous studies, Lovette and Shah (2007) found that experts are better able to recognize patterns within data and, with more statistical knowledge, can come to conclusions about the presented graphs relatively easier than students. Okan et al. (2016) also reported that individuals who had more graph literacy were better able to identify and attend to task-relevant information. In the present study, students and faculty at Carthage College will be asked to view sixteen graphs, eight of which use ambiguous variables. Participants will be asked to verbally describe and interpret each graph and an Eye Tracker Portable Duo will record their fixation patterns. Verbal responses will be recorded, coded, and given a ranking based on a 5-point scale system. The results of this study are expected to reveal different patterns in the scan paths of experts and students, and that experts earn a higher average score on their verbal responses. The implications of these findings will help instructors better understand why students struggle to interpret graphs and then develop new teaching strategies that will further improve the students’ abilities.