From reading numbers to seeing ratios: a benefit of icons for risk comprehension

Promoting a better understanding of statistical data is becoming increasingly important for improving risk comprehension and decision-making. In this regard, previous studies on Bayesian problem solving have shown that iconic representations help infer frequencies in sets and subsets. Nevertheless,...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Tubau Sala, Elisabet, Rodríguez-Ferreiro, Javier, Barberia, Itxaso, Colomé, Àngels
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2019
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/162287
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/162287
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Raonament (Psicologia)
Probabilitats
Reasoning (Psychology)
Probabilities
id ES_2f11eda3f01c3fb6aa4f131c7c3e2d7d
oai_identifier_str oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/162287
network_acronym_str ES
network_name_str España
repository_id_str
spelling From reading numbers to seeing ratios: a benefit of icons for risk comprehensionTubau Sala, ElisabetRodríguez-Ferreiro, JavierBarberia, ItxasoColomé, ÀngelsRaonament (Psicologia)ProbabilitatsReasoning (Psychology)ProbabilitiesPromoting a better understanding of statistical data is becoming increasingly important for improving risk comprehension and decision-making. In this regard, previous studies on Bayesian problem solving have shown that iconic representations help infer frequencies in sets and subsets. Nevertheless, the mechanisms by which icons enhance performance remain unclear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the benefit offered by icon arrays lies in a better alignment between presented and requested relationships, which should facilitate the comprehension of the requested ratio beyond the represented quantities. To this end, we analyzed individual risk estimates based on data presented either in standard verbal presentations (percentages and natural frequency formats) or as icon arrays. Compared to the other formats, icons led to estimates that were more accurate, and importantly, promoted the use of equivalent expressions for the requested probability. Furthermore, whereas the accuracy of the estimates based on verbal formats depended on their alignment with the text, all the estimates based on icons were equally accurate. Therefore, these results support the proposal that icons enhance the comprehension of the ratio and its mapping onto the requested probability and point to relational misalignment as potential interference for text-based Bayesian reasoning. The present findings also argue against an intrinsic difficulty with understanding single-event probabilities.Springer Verlag2019info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersionapplication/pdfhttps://hdl.handle.net/2445/162287Articles publicats en revistes (Cognició, Desenvolupament i Psicologia de l'Educació)reponame:Dipòsit Digital de la UBinstname:Universidad de BarcelonaInglésVersió postprint del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-018-1041-4Psychological Research-Psychologische Forschung, 2019, vol. 83, num. 8, p. 1808-1816https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-018-1041-4(c) Springer Verlag, 2019info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/1622872026-05-27T06:46:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv From reading numbers to seeing ratios: a benefit of icons for risk comprehension
title From reading numbers to seeing ratios: a benefit of icons for risk comprehension
spellingShingle From reading numbers to seeing ratios: a benefit of icons for risk comprehension
Tubau Sala, Elisabet
Raonament (Psicologia)
Probabilitats
Reasoning (Psychology)
Probabilities
title_short From reading numbers to seeing ratios: a benefit of icons for risk comprehension
title_full From reading numbers to seeing ratios: a benefit of icons for risk comprehension
title_fullStr From reading numbers to seeing ratios: a benefit of icons for risk comprehension
title_full_unstemmed From reading numbers to seeing ratios: a benefit of icons for risk comprehension
title_sort From reading numbers to seeing ratios: a benefit of icons for risk comprehension
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Tubau Sala, Elisabet
Rodríguez-Ferreiro, Javier
Barberia, Itxaso
Colomé, Àngels
author Tubau Sala, Elisabet
author_facet Tubau Sala, Elisabet
Rodríguez-Ferreiro, Javier
Barberia, Itxaso
Colomé, Àngels
author_role author
author2 Rodríguez-Ferreiro, Javier
Barberia, Itxaso
Colomé, Àngels
author2_role author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Raonament (Psicologia)
Probabilitats
Reasoning (Psychology)
Probabilities
topic Raonament (Psicologia)
Probabilitats
Reasoning (Psychology)
Probabilities
description Promoting a better understanding of statistical data is becoming increasingly important for improving risk comprehension and decision-making. In this regard, previous studies on Bayesian problem solving have shown that iconic representations help infer frequencies in sets and subsets. Nevertheless, the mechanisms by which icons enhance performance remain unclear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the benefit offered by icon arrays lies in a better alignment between presented and requested relationships, which should facilitate the comprehension of the requested ratio beyond the represented quantities. To this end, we analyzed individual risk estimates based on data presented either in standard verbal presentations (percentages and natural frequency formats) or as icon arrays. Compared to the other formats, icons led to estimates that were more accurate, and importantly, promoted the use of equivalent expressions for the requested probability. Furthermore, whereas the accuracy of the estimates based on verbal formats depended on their alignment with the text, all the estimates based on icons were equally accurate. Therefore, these results support the proposal that icons enhance the comprehension of the ratio and its mapping onto the requested probability and point to relational misalignment as potential interference for text-based Bayesian reasoning. The present findings also argue against an intrinsic difficulty with understanding single-event probabilities.
publishDate 2019
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2019
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion
format article
status_str acceptedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://hdl.handle.net/2445/162287
url https://hdl.handle.net/2445/162287
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv Versió postprint del document publicat a: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-018-1041-4
Psychological Research-Psychologische Forschung, 2019, vol. 83, num. 8, p. 1808-1816
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00426-018-1041-4
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv (c) Springer Verlag, 2019
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv (c) Springer Verlag, 2019
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Springer Verlag
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Springer Verlag
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Articles publicats en revistes (Cognició, Desenvolupament i Psicologia de l'Educació)
reponame:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
instname:Universidad de Barcelona
instname_str Universidad de Barcelona
reponame_str Dipòsit Digital de la UB
collection Dipòsit Digital de la UB
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
_version_ 1869405452951879680
score 15.300719

Similares en LA Referencia