Developing A Theoretical Framework of Task Complexity for Research on Visualization in Support of Decision Making Under Uncertainty

Abstract

This paper describes initial validation of a theoretical framework to support research on the visualization of uncertainty. Two experiments replicated and extended this framework, illustrating how the manipulation of task complexity produces differences in performance. Additionally, using a combinatory metric of workload and performance, this framework provides a new metric for assessing uncertainty visualization. We describe how this work acts as a theoretical scaffold for examining differing forms of visualizations of uncertainty by providing a means for systematic variations in task context.