Misleading Graphics: Can Decision Makers Be Affected By Their Use

Abstract

This theses investigated how Air Force decision makers can be affected by misleading graphics. A literature review revealed the existence of criteria for creating high-integrity graphs, as well as style guides for formatting and procedural techniques. By violating the criteria, misleading graphs may be produced which misrepresent the underlying data. Experiments were conducted on 63 Air Force Institute of Technology short-course students. Graphs typically used in the analysis of cost performance reports were constructed in a way to violate one of the criteria for the experiments. Using a t-test, it was demonstrated that Air Force decision makers can be misled by graphs that violate the criteria at a level of significance of less than .0001. Also, a sampling of graphs from throughout Air Force Systems Command revealed that program managers and cost analysts were creating graphs that violated the criteria.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 1990
Accession Number
ADA229621

Entities

People

  • Albert A. Larkin

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Engineered Resilient Systems
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Computers
  • Contractors
  • Contracts
  • Control Systems
  • Cost Analysis
  • Costs
  • Engineers
  • Governments
  • Graphics
  • Literature Surveys
  • Measurement
  • Measuring Instruments
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Organizational Structure
  • Standards
  • Statistical Analysis
  • Students

Readers

  • Database Systems and Applications
  • Educational Psychology
  • Graph Algorithms and Convex Optimization.