An Examination of the Relationship between Visualization Media and Consumer Product Evaluation.

Virtual product presentations that rely on static images and text are often insufficient to communicate all the information that is necessary to accurately evaluate a product. Technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) or Augmented Reality (AR) have enabled more sophisticated representation methods, but certain product characteristics are difficult to assess and may result in perceptual differences when a product is evaluated in different visual media. In this paper, we report two case studies in which a group of participants evaluated three designs of two product typologies (i.e., a desktop telephone and a coffee maker) as presented in three different visual media (i.e., photorealistic renderings, AR, and VR for the first case study; and photographs, a non-immersive virtual environment, and AR for the second case study) using eight semantic scales. An inferential statistical method using Aligned Rank Transform (ART) proceedings was applied to determine perceptual differences between groups. Our results show that in both cases product attributes in Jordan's physio-pleasure category are the most affected by the presentation media. The socio-pleasure category was also affected for the case of the coffee makers. The level of immersion afforded by the medium significantly affects product evaluation.

Identifying Deception as a Critical Component of Visualization Literacy.

The ability to recognize misleading data visualizations is a key aspect of visualization literacy. In this article, we argue that learning to successfully identify a deceptive graphic requires strategies that deliberately force learners to take an active role in the visualization process. We describe a series of experiments where three groups of learners were shown various deceptive graphics and asked to answer a series of questions. Three different interventions were analyzed to compare the educational effectiveness of the strategies used to engage learners into the process of identifying deceptive visualizations. Our results suggest that the ability to identify deceptive visualizations must be explicitly taught as a core element of visualization literacy. Although both traditional and self-learning approaches are beneficial, the more active the intervention, the higher its educational effectiveness.

Understanding emergency workers' behavior and perspectives on design and safety in the workplace.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is a demanding and hazardous industry. Because of the changing roles in the emergency response system, EMS workers are increasingly expected to provide treatment and care in addition to transport, which increases their task load and susceptibility to harm. This paper serves to outline the EMS field from the worker's perspective with the purpose of understanding their views on health, safety, and the work environment, and identify where gaps in worker well-being are exposed. Through direct observation, field studies, and formal interviews with EMS professionals, we discuss where reluctance lies in addressing safety issues and the current efforts to address them. A high prevalence of responses regarding the inadequacy of ambulance restraining systems was reported, as existing interventions do not take into account medic needs.