A Multidimensional Assessment Method for Visualization Understanding (MdamV)
Saske, Antonia Koesten, Laura Möller, Torsten Staudner, Judith Kritzinger, Sylvia
Saske, Antonia
Koesten, Laura
Möller, Torsten
Staudner, Judith
Kritzinger, Sylvia
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Department
Human Computer Interaction
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Type
Journal article
Date
2026
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Language
English
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Abstract
How audiences read, interpret, and critique data visualizations is mainly assessed through performance tests featuring tasks like value retrieval. Yet, other factors shown to shape visualization understanding, such as numeracy, graph familiarity, and aesthetic perception, remain underrepresented in existing instruments. To address this, we design and test a Multidimensional Assessment Method for Visualization Understanding (MdamV). This method integrates task-based measures with self-perceived ability ratings and open-ended critique, applied directly to the visualizations being read. Grounded in learning sciences frameworks that view understanding as a multifaceted process, MdamV spans six dimensions: Comprehending, Decoding, Aestheticizing, Critiquing, Reading, and Contextualizing. Validation was supported by a survey (N=438) representative of Austria's population (ages18-74, male/female split), using a line chart and a bar chart on climate data. Findings show, for example, that about a quarter of respondents indicate deficits in comprehending simple data units, roughly one in five people felt unfamiliar with each chart type, and self-assessed numeracy was significantly related to data reading performance (p=0.0004). Overall, the evaluation of MdamV demonstrates the value of assessing visualization understanding beyond performance, framing it as a situated process tied to particular visualizations.
Citation
A. Saske, L. Koesten, T. Möller, J. Staudner and S. Kritzinger, "A Multidimensional Assessment Method for Visualization Understanding (MdamV)," in IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, doi: 10.1109/TVCG.2026.3653265
Source
IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics
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Keywords
Data and Knowledge Visualization, Data Communications Aspects, Literacy, Self-Assessment, Test Design
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IEEE