The Use of Spatial Cognition in Graph Interpretation

We conducted an experiment to investigate whether spatial processing is used in graph comprehension tasks. Using an interference paradigm, we demonstrate that a graph task interfered more with performance on a spatial memory task than on a visual (non-spatial) memory task. Reaction times showed there was no speed-accuracy tradeoff. We conclude that it was the spatial nature of the graph task that caused the additional interference in the spatial memory task. We propose that current theories of graph comprehension should be expanded to include a spatial processing component