A review of scientific visualization software for the Macintosh computer

Marchak, Frank M.; Zulager, Dana D.

doi:10.3758/bf03203516

Cited by 2 publications

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“…They are powerful, integrated programs with graphical capabilities. Marchak and Zulager (1992) have reviewed the ease of use of the visualization tools that are available in some of these programs. Since there are already comprehensive reviews of the data analysis programs that are available for the Macintosh (Best & Morganstein, 1991;Lehman, 1986), this review focuses on the programs that are especially useful in instruction.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of macintosh-based instructional software

Goolkasian

1993

Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers

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This paper reviews Macintosh-based instructional software. The programs that are discussed can be used as laboratory exercises for data collection and data analysis, or for computer-assisted instruction. Some suggestions for state-of-the-art software in each of these categories are made along with some comments regarding instructional objectives for each set of programs.Instructional software has changed significantly since the early 1980s when computer-based laboratories were first introduced (Goolkasian, 1985). We have recently upgraded our undergraduate computer laboratory by installing an AppleTalk network with Macintosh IIsi computers and have some suggestions for state-of-the-art instructional software. This review follows in the tradition of Hornby and Anderson (1990) and Butler and Neudecker (1989) by providing some comparative data and, also, updates previous work with a state-of-the-art library of programs for psychology instruction.The programs are compatible with System 7, and run effectively on a Macintosh with a coprocessor, at least 5 MB of memory and an 8Q-MB hard drive. The laboratory functions as a student center for data collection and data analysis, and each piece of software was chosen to meet specific instructional goals. Although the laboratory was developed primarily for students enrolled in Research Methods in Psychology, it is also used for demonstrations in upper division courses (i.e., Sensation and Perception, Physiological Psychology, and Human Cognitive Processes) and by students enrolled in independent research. Table 1 lists suggested software in each of three categories. Laboratory ExercisesThe programs in the first category provide the means by which students can gain "hands-on" experience in dataThis work was supported in part by funds from the foundation of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the State of North Carolina. Funds for the equipment to upgrade the Research Methods Laboratory was provided from National Science Foundation Grant USE-9151966. Correspondence should be addressed to P. Goolkasian, Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, NC 28223 (e-mail: fpyOOpag@unccvm.bitnet).collection with a wide variety of experimental procedures. Although all of the programs in this category are used for data collection, they differ in the extent to which a laboratory procedure can be modified. Some provide ready-torun exercises (i.e., Experiments in Cognitive Psychology) that follow a contemporary paradigm from the psychologicalliterature while others (i.e., SuperLab) are tool-based and require the user to set up a customized experiment by using a series of interactive menus. The ease with which the software can be modified to customize the laboratory procedure can be an important variable when one is trying to meet specific instructional objectives. For example, ready-to-run programs are useful for providing students with a data-gathering experience in a specific area or with a specific research design. Experiments in Cognitive Psychology,...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of macintosh-based instructional software

Goolkasian

1993

Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers

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“…An example of such a software package is Mathematica (Wolfram Research, Inc., Champaign, IL), because it can be used to perform both simple analyses (those that are useful for novices) as well as complex ones (those that are useful for experts; observed by Marchak & Zulager, 1992). Software with this capability may depend on a "flexible" interface-one that provides the user with varying degrees ofpower and control.…”

Section: Improving Long-term Usefulnessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visualization of multivariate data: Human-factors considerations

Colet

Aaronson

1995

Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers

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Recent software provides new tools for visualizing multivariate data that facilitate data analysis. We focus on (1) the learnability and use of visualization systems, and (2) the perceptual and cognitive processes involved in viewing visualizations. Effective visualization systems support a broad range of user tasks and abilities, are easy to learn, and provide powerful and flexible output formatting. Effective visualizations incorporate Gestalt and other perceptual and cognitive principles that encourage more rapid, automatic processing, and less slow, controlled processing.Computers have always provided powerful analytical tools and efficient means of "number crunching." Today, computers are also efficient at generating and presenting information graphically. This combination of computing and graphical power makes them almost ideal tools for combining data analysis and scientific visualization. Visualization can be thought ofas the process of using computers to display information visually for purposes of analysis (Hummel, 1994), using a combination of points, lines, coordinate systems, numbers, symbols, words, shading, and color to represent measured quantities (Tufte, 1983). In essence, visualizations can serve as graphical descriptions and summaries ofnumerical information. Although it is often treated as a separate topic in and of itself, visualization has the same purpose as mathematical and statistical procedures in data analysis-namely, to make apparent any trends and patterns in the data that indicate underlying relationships among variables. Data analysis is therefore a continuum of activity ranging from exploratory work to the presentation of results.In this paper, we first discuss the value of visualization using both simple (consisting offew variables) and complex (multivariate) data sets. Several examples generated from currently available software are presented. Despite the fact that visualization can add value to data analysis and that the software to generate visualizations is commercially available, there seems to be limited use of vi- sualization techniques as a regular component of data analysis in the social and behavioral sciences. The latter part of this paper presents a human-factors perspective to account for the limited use of visualization, focusing first on the factors relevant to the use ofcomputer-based systems to generate visualizations, and then on the cognitive and perceptual factors that pertain to the comprehension and interpretation of visual views of data. THE VALUE OF VISUALIZATIONVisualization can aid in the theoretical interpretation of data by guiding the process of math modeling. For example, a Pearson correlation coefficient is often used to quantitatively describe a linear relationship between two variables. But it is important to view the data in order to assess the appropriateness ofthis measure. A scatterplot can easily expose a curvilinear trend in the data, or the presence ofan outlier that highly influences the Pearson coefficient. Thus, for both simple and com...

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A review of scientific visualization software for the Macintosh computer

Cited by 2 publications

References 6 publications

A review of macintosh-based instructional software

A review of macintosh-based instructional software

Visualization of multivariate data: Human-factors considerations

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