Emergent Features, Spatial Arithmetic, and Visual Scanning Behavior

Abstract

In this study the relationship between spatial arithmetic and emergent features was investigated in a study requiring subjects to perform integrated tasks (tasks that require the integration of various data values shown in a graph) with one type of configural graph and one type of non-configural (separable) graph. Among other things, the question was addressed to what extent separable graphs have emergent features (perceptual qualities arising from the way the values are plotted) that can invoke spatial arithmetic (arithmetic using visual strategies) and thereby can facilitate task performance. To this end tasks were defined that were expected to invoke either spatial or mental (non-spatial) arithmetic. The subjects' visual scanning behavior was also recorded to see if it can supplement performance indices as a means for comparing spatial and mental arithmetic and for assessing the relative effectiveness by which graphical information is processed. The results of an experiment show that, as expected, spatial arithmetic can be invoked in both configural graphs and separable graphs. In addition, spatial arithmetic and mental arithmetic could be experimentally distinguished in terms of global characteristics of the visual scanning behavior. However, configural graphs did not result in better performance than separable graphs. These findings are discussed, the focus of the discussion being on the multitude of features that are often present in both configural and separable graphs and that allow for various degrees of spatial processing.