Chapter 7: Working With Charts and Visualizations

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. What does the term “viz” refer to?

A. a classic chart or graph

B. a user-friendly chart

C. a panel of charts

D. line and bar charts

Learning Objective: 7-1: State the criteria for effective charts and visualizations.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Learning Objectives

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. What is a focused chart?

A. shows one aspect of a topic

B. employs bells and whistles

C. presents the topic settings

D. illustrates the “what” of a concept

Learning Objective: 7-1: State the criteria for effective charts and visualizations.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Focused Chart

Difficulty Level: Easy

3. What does the term “well organized chart” mean?

A. chart organized in ordinal order

B. graph layout in alphabetical order

C. content consistent with a take-home point

D. chart organized as per rank of objectives

Learning Objective: 7-1: State the criteria for effective charts and visualizations.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Well Organized Chart

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. According to the Cleveland McGill (1984) study, people best assess values in charts in which of the following ascending orders?

A. lines, direction, dots, angle, area, volume, curve, shading

B. dots, lines, direction, angle, area, volume, curve, shading

C. area, curve, volume, shading, dots, lines, direction, angle

D. lines, dots, angle, direction, volume, curve, shading, area

Learning Objective: 7-2: List the principles of visual perception and explain how they affect effective chart design.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Perceptual Tasks

Difficulty Level: Hard

5. What does “cognitive load” mean in the context of interpreting a chart or visualization?

A. the complexity of chart type and size

B. number of colors used in a chart

C. data shown with multiple chart types

D. effort required to interpret data in a chart

Learning Objective: 7-2: List the principles of visual perception and explain how they affect effective chart design.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Cognitive Load

Difficulty Level: Easy

6. A line chart shows average rainfall per month for 10 countries in Europe. The X-axis shows 12 months of the year 2020, and the Y-axis shows average rainfall per month. Each country is shown with its own line with a unique marker for the 12 data points. The data value to three decimal places is shown above each marker. How would you rate the cognitive load of this chart?

A. moderate

B. low

C. high

D. negligible

Learning Objective: 7-2: List the principles of visual perception and explain how they affect effective chart design.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Cognitive Load

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. What is a gestalt reaction?

A. a timely reaction

B. a physical or bodily reaction

C. an instant and subconscious reaction

D. a delayed and physical reaction

Learning Objective: 7-2: List the principles of visual perception and explain how they affect effective chart design.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Cognitive Load

Difficulty Level: Easy

8. What is the gestalt principle of connection in the context of charts?

A. Objects of the same shape are from the same group.

B. Data points connected by a line are closely related.

C. Incomplete shapes are mentally completed to a whole.

D. Dots within a shape are connected to each other.

Learning Objective: 7-2: List the principles of visual perception and explain how they affect effective chart design.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Cognitive Load

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. Which of the primary gestalt principles refer to the reader mentally filling in an absent connection or a gap?

A. connection principle

B. similarity and connection

C. continuity and closure

D. enclosure principle

Learning Objective: 7-2: List the principles of visual perception and explain how they affect effective chart design.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Cognitive Load

Difficulty Level: Hard

10. A bar chart shows the gross annual revenue, by year, of a Telecommunications company. Horizontal bars are shown for each of the four regions the company operates in, for the years 2019 and 2020. Year is shown on the X-axis of the chart. Bars of each region is given a separate color. Which gestalt principle helps the reader in interpreting this bar chart?

A. similarity

B. connection

C. closure

D. continuity

Learning Objective: 7-2: List the principles of visual perception and explain how they affect effective chart design.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Cognitive Load

Difficulty Level: Medium

11. The title of a chart states the main take-home point of a particular trend shown in the chart. Where would this title be the most appropriate?

A. a scientific journal

B. a research white paper

C. an applied research journal

D. a newspaper article

Learning Objective: 7-3: Name the parts of charts and visualizations and guidelines for their use in research tasks.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Title

Difficulty Level: Medium

12. What is the difference between a legend and a text label?

A. Legend identifies unlabeled series in the chart body. Text label does not.

B. Text label gives a text description of an object. Legend does not.

C. Legend is placed at the bottom of a chart object. Text label is not so placed.

D. Text label uses acronyms to mark series in the chart. Legend does not.

Learning Objective: 7-3: Name the parts of charts and visualizations and guidelines for their use in research tasks.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Legend

Difficulty Level: Medium

13. A well-designed chart will state the topic and context of the data shown, give the categories and/or measurement units of all variables, and, which other principal characteristic? Choose from the following.

A. provide an advanced visualization of the data

B. enable the reader to easily discern the patterns in data

C. specify the w's of the topic in the title or footnote

D. state the purpose of the exhibit in a footnote or text box

Learning Objective: 7-3: Name the parts of charts and visualizations and guidelines for their use in research tasks.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Reading Data From a Chart or Visualization

Difficulty Level: Medium

14. A pie chart shows the frequency count of customers of a store for the year, by two age intervals. One age interval contains 65% of the data. The other age interval is not labeled in the chart. What could be the primary purpose of this exhibit?

A. exhibit frequency counts by age-group

B. provide a distribution by category

C. show the relative importance of a number

D. illustrate parts of a whole for a variable

Learning Objective: 7-3: Name the parts of charts and visualizations and guidelines for their use in research tasks.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Presenting One Number

Difficulty Level: Hard

15. What is an icon array? Choose the best answer.

A. rows of vectors containing different icons or shapes

B. histogram of an integer variable

C. small circle equivalent to one case repeated in rows

D. image representing fixed cases and repeated in a grid

Learning Objective: 7-4: Identify charts and visualizations to suit each major research task, and read data from those charts.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Icon Arrays

Difficulty Level: Medium

16. Which type of chart(s) are best suited for exhibiting “parts-of-a-whole” of a categorical variable?

A. histogram or bar chart

B. stacked bar chart or pie chart

C. doughnut chart

D. spline chart

Learning Objective: 7-4: Identify charts and visualizations to suit each major research task, and read data from those charts.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Parts of a Whole

Difficulty Level: Easy

17. For variables with more than two categories, pie charts are appropriate when all categories are of equal size, or, under which other situation?

A. One category is much larger than the others.

B. There are more than five categories.

C. Two or three categories are much smaller than others.

D. The variable of interest is nominal.

Learning Objective: 7-4: Identify charts and visualizations to suit each major research task, and read data from those charts.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Pie Charts

Difficulty Level: Medium

18. How should stacks of a stacked bar chart be organized to reduce cognitive load?

A. descending frequency or percent

B. in order of data source

C. thematically or empirically

D. rank of categories in variable

Learning Objective: 7-4: Identify charts and visualizations to suit each major research task, and read data from those charts.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Stacked Bar Charts

Difficulty Level: Easy

19. Bar charts are generally perceived by readers to be a comparison of which items?

A. outcome and categories of a variable

B. groups within an independent variable

C. two independent variables

D. variable across time dimension

Learning Objective: 7-4: Identify charts and visualizations to suit each major research task, and read data from those charts.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Comparing Two or More Numbers

Difficulty Level: Easy

20. Under what circumstance is a lollipop chart generally used?

A. Outcome variable has many values.

B. There are multiple independent variables.

C. Independent variable has many categories.

D. Dependent variable is dichotomous.

Learning Objective: 7-4: Identify charts and visualizations to suit each major research task, and read data from those charts.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Lollipop Charts

Difficulty Level: Medium

21. The average temperature of the month of July in Los Angeles is plotted on the Y-axis of a chart against the years 1990 to 2000 shown on the X-axis. The data points are connected by a line. What term best represents this type of chart?

A. trend chart

B. line chart

C. spline chart

D. scatterplot

Learning Objective: 7-4: Identify charts and visualizations to suit each major research task, and read data from those charts.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Trend Charts

Difficulty Level: Medium

22. Scatter charts are useful for showing association between which two types of variables?

A. categorical and continuous variables

B. two ordinal variables

C. two continuous variables

D. nominal and ordinal variables

Learning Objective: 7-4: Identify charts and visualizations to suit each major research task, and read data from those charts.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Scatter Charts

Difficulty Level: Easy

23. A scatter chart or plot could include what type of line to show any pattern in the data?

A. trend line

B. regression line

C. spline

D. dotted line

Learning Objective: 7-4: Identify charts and visualizations to suit each major research task, and read data from those charts.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Scatter Charts

Difficulty Level: Easy

24. The average height of male adults for five time points are shown for Scandinavian countries as a whole, and for Norway, Sweden, and Finland individually. The time points or years, 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, are shown on the X-axis. The average height for each time point or year is shown on the Y-axis for each of the four groups: Scandinavia, Norway, Sweden, and, Finland. The data points for each group are connected by a line. What type of a chart is this?

A. line chart

B. trend chart

C. multigroup chart

D. multiple-line chart

Learning Objective: 7-4: Identify charts and visualizations to suit each major research task, and read data from those charts.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Multiple-Line Chart

Difficulty Level: Medium

25. When is it convenient to use a logarithmic scale for values shown on the Y-axis of a dependent variable?

A. All values are very large.

B. All values are very small.

C. Range of values is very large.

D. 25th percentile value is very small.

Learning Objective: 7-5: Choose design features such as color and axis type.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Linear and Logistic Axis Scales

Difficulty Level: Medium

True/False

1. Charts displaying volume, curves, and with shading tend to have more cognitive load.

Learning Objective: 7-2: List the principles of visual perception and explain how they affect effective chart design.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Cognitive Load

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Proximity and enclosure are gestalt principles which are more relevant to designing tables.

Learning Objective: 7-2: List the principles of visual perception and explain how they affect effective chart design.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Cognitive Load

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. In classic charts, numeric or text labels are sometimes used in lieu of formal axis titles and labels.

Learning Objective: 7-3: Name the parts of charts and visualizations and guidelines for their use in research tasks.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Axis Titles and Axis Labels

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. Footnotes to a visualization could be used to state the Ws of the research topic.

Learning Objective: 7-3: Name the parts of charts and visualizations and guidelines for their use in research tasks.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Notes to Charts

Difficulty Level: Easy

5. A text visualization does not contain axes, dots or lines, and, could be used to present a dichotomous variable.

Learning Objective: 7-4: Identify charts and visualizations to suit each major research task, and read data from those charts.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Text Visualization for One Large Number

Difficulty Level: Hard

6. A clustered-bar chart is generally used to show a bi-variate association.

Learning Objective: 7-4: Identify charts and visualizations to suit each major research task, and read data from those charts.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Clustered-Bar Charts

Difficulty Level: Easy

7. Dumbbell dot plots could be used to portray the association between a dependent variable and two quantitative independent variables.

Learning Objective: 7-4: Identify charts and visualizations to suit each major research task, and read data from those charts.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Dumbbell Dot Plots

Difficulty Level: Easy

8. Heat maps exhibit the association of a continuous outcome variable with two categorical independent variables.

Learning Objective: 7-4: Identify charts and visualizations to suit each major research task, and read data from those charts.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Heat Maps

Difficulty Level: Hard

9. Values shown on an X-axis should include all possible values of the variable, not a truncated range of values for that variable.

Learning Objective: 7-6: Recognize design pitfalls for charts or visualizations, and ways to avoid them.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Incorrect Axis Scales

Difficulty Level: Easy

10. A trend chart had the variable YEAR on the X-axis. Values for the variable YEAR were 1990, 2000, 2005, 2010, and, 2015. The tick marks on the axis should be spaced equally to reflect the true slope of the trend line.

Learning Objective: 7-6: Recognize design pitfalls for charts or visualizations, and ways to avoid them.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Incorrect Spacing of Values on an Axis

Difficulty Level: Medium

Short Answer

1. What are some of the drawbacks of developing a 3-D chart showing two dimensions or variables?

Learning Objective: 7-6: Recognize design pitfalls for charts or visualizations, and ways to avoid them.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Use of 3-D and Angled or Tilted Perspective

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. In your own words, discuss the key components of a focused and self-contained chart.

Learning Objective: 7-1: State the criteria for effective charts and visualizations.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Criteria for Effective Charts and Visualizations

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Provide an example to illustrate the gestalt principle of continuity in a chart of your choice.

Learning Objective: 7-2: List the principles of visual perception and explain how they affect effective chart design.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Cognitive Load

Difficulty Level: Hard

4. Text labels could be used in place of a legend in a visualization. Give an example and explain how this reduces cognitive load.

Learning Objective: 7-3: Name the parts of charts and visualizations and guidelines for their use in research tasks.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Legend

Difficulty Level: Hard

5. A line chart showing the association between two numerical variables, has 15 data points. How would you place data labels, if at all, on this chart? Explain your answer.

Learning Objective: 7-3: Name the parts of charts and visualizations and guidelines for their use in research tasks.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Data Labels

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. Describe the different chart types available to present one number on a chart or visualization. Provide an example of one of these chart types.

Learning Objective: 7-4: Identify charts and visualizations to suit each major research task, and read data from those charts.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Presenting One Number

Difficulty Level: Medium

7. Which type of research task could be exhibited by a pie chart? Discuss the components and characteristics of a well-conceived pie chart.

Learning Objective: 7-4: Identify charts and visualizations to suit each major research task, and read data from those charts.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Parts of a Whole

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. Give an example of a task where a lollipop chart would be preferred over a simple bar chart. Explain your reasons for this choice.

Learning Objective: 7-4: Identify charts and visualizations to suit each major research task, and read data from those charts.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Lollipop Charts

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. Discuss the characteristics of two chart types that show a three-way association. Provide an example of each type.

Learning Objective: 7-4: Identify charts and visualizations to suit each major research task, and read data from those charts.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: More Complex Patterns

Difficulty Level: Hard

10. Which colors would you prefer to use, if any, for a chart that needs to be printed in grayscale? Explain your answer.

Learning Objective: 7-5: Choose design features such as color and axis type.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Use of Color

Difficulty Level: Easy

Essay

1. The type of chart or visualization is dependent on the number of variables involved in the research task, and, on their levels(s) of measurement. Do you agree with this statement? If so, give your reasoning with examples. If you do not agree, state your objections to this statement.

Learning Objective: 7-4: Identify charts and visualizations to suit each major research task, and read data from those charts.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Charts and Visualizations for Specific Tasks

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. Construct a research task of your choice from a real-world situation that has a dichotomous dependent or outcome variable, and two categorical independent variables. What type of chart would best represent the data from this task? Illustrate your reasoning by developing different charts with the data you constructed. Your reasoning should make it clear, which is the best chart type and why.

Learning Objective: 7-4: Identify charts and visualizations to suit each major research task, and read data from those charts.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: More Complex Patterns

Difficulty Level: Hard

3. How would you convert the chart you constructed in Question 2 to a visualization? Explain the steps you take to make this conversion. Show the end result of this conversion in your answer.

Learning Objective: 7-4: Identify charts and visualizations to suit each major research task, and read data from those charts; 7-5: Choose design features such as color and axis type.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: More Complex Patterns; Design Issues

Difficulty Level: Hard