Graph Structure Supports Graph Description

Abstract

This research adapts theories of graph comprehension to investigate the factors affecting how easily a graph can be described. We find that the structure of a graph-the number of visual chunks (visually distinct units of information) to be described-influences the communicative quality of elicited descriptions. The work extends our understanding of graph comprehension by investigating the relationship between comprehension and description processes. This research occurs in the context of understanding how to design graphical description tasks for the Test of Spoken English.