Witt - Introducting Hat Graphs

Visualizing data through graphs can be an effective way to communicate one’s results. A ubiquitous graph and common technique to communicate behavioral data is the bar graph. The bar graph was first invented in 1786 and little has changed in its format. Here, a replacement for the bar graph is proposed. The new format, called a hat graph, maintains some of the critical features of the bar graph such as its discrete elements, but eliminates redundancies that are problematic when the baseline is not at 0. Hat graphs also include elements designed to improve Gestalt grouping principles and engage object-based attention. The effectiveness of the hat graph was tested in two empirical studies for which participants had to find and identify the condition that lead to the biggest improvement from baseline to final test. Performance with hat graphs was 30 - 40% faster than with bar graphs.