Abstract
Two experiments are reported which investigate the factors that influence how persuaded mathematicians are by visual arguments. We demonstrate that if a visual argument is accompanied by a passage of text which describes the image, both research-active mathematicians and successful undergraduate mathematics students perceive it to be significantly more persuasive than if no text is given. We suggest that mathematicians’ epistemological concerns about supporting a claim using visual images are less prominent when the image is described in words. Finally we suggest that empirical studies can make a useful contribution to our understanding of mathematical practice.
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Inglis, M., Mejía-Ramos, J.P. On the Persuasiveness of Visual Arguments in Mathematics. Found Sci 14, 97–110 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10699-008-9149-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10699-008-9149-4