Abstract
Comprehension of a diagram requires viewers to construct from its graphic constituents a mental representation that captures the situational entities and relationships referred to by the diagram. However, this implies viewers possess appropriate background knowledge concerning the depicted situation. Meteorologists' and non-meteorologists' mental representations were investigated using a three-stage card sorting task during which subjects generated hierarchical groupings of the graphic elements of an Australian weather map diagram. Cluster analysis indicated that the two subject groups differed fundamentally in the basis of their sorting behaviour. Subjects' justifications of the groupings suggested that non-meteorologists' mental representation of the diagram elements was primarily based upon domain-general, visuospatial characteristics whereas in meteorologists' representations, these characteristics were subservient to a domain-specific, situational interpretation of the graphic array. The findings indicate that background knowledge deficiencies may make it difficult for learners beginning study of a domain to construct suitable mental representations from domain-related diagrams.
Résumé
La compréhension d'un graphique exige du sujet qu'il construise, sur la base de la représentation figurale, une représentation mentale des éléments du graphique et de leurs relations. Cela suppose, de la part du sujet, des connaissances adéquates déjà constituées à propos de la situation représentée par le graphique. Les représentations mentales de météorologues et de non-météorologues ont été comparées à la faveur d'une tâche de sélections successives (trois étapes) d'éléments d'une carte météorologique qu'ils devaient regrouper en fonction de leurs relations et selon une catégorisation hiérarchique. Une analyse en clusters a mis en évidence des différences très nettes dans les principes des classifications appliquées par les deux groupes de sujets. Les justifications fournies ont révélé que les non-météorologues fondent leur représentation mentale des éléments du graphique sur des caractéristiques générales et visuo-spatiales du domaine; les météorologues s'appuient sur une interprétation spécifique et située de l'information apportée par le graphique. L'inadéquation des connaissances antérieures gène l'acquisition dans des domaines nouveaux où le sujet doit construire des représentations appropriées à partir de représentations graphiques du domaine étudié.
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The cooperation and support of the Director and Staff of the Western Australian Regional Office of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology is gratefully acknowledged.
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Lowe, R.K. Background knowledge and the construction of a situational representation from a diagram. Eur J Psychol Educ 11, 377–397 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03173279
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03173279