JDS Journal of Data Science 1683-86021680-743X1680-743X School of Statistics, Renmin University of China JDS1121 10.6339/24-JDS1121 Statistical Data Science Testing Perceptual Accuracy in a U.S. General Population Survey Using Stacked Bar Charts https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7454-7733 RiceKieganrice-kiegan@norc.org1∗ https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6216-5183 HofmannHeike2 https://orcid.org/0009-0006-2670-3144 du ToitNola1 MulrowEdward1 NORC at the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA Department of Statistics, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA Corresponding author. Email: rice-kiegan@norc.org. 20241332024222280297 Supplementary Material

The source code and data used in this paper and an example stimulus image are available on a GitHub repository at https://github.com/kiegan/testing-charts-jds.

3172023222024 2024 The Author(s). Published by the School of Statistics and the Center for Applied Statistics, Renmin University of China.2024 Open access article under the CC BY license.

The use of visuals is a key component in scientific communication. Decisions about the design of a data visualization should be informed by what design elements best support the audience’s ability to perceive and understand the components of the data visualization. We build on the foundations of Cleveland and McGill’s work in graphical perception, employing a large, nationally-representative, probability-based panel of survey respondents to test perception in stacked bar charts. Our findings provide actionable guidance for data visualization practitioners to employ in their work.

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