Understanding graphic representations of interaction at universities: selection, interpretation and graphic format / Comprensión de la representación gráfica de la interacción en universitarios: selección, interpretación y formato gráfico

Abstract

The study examined psychology students’ understanding of interaction graphs. The sample was divided into two groups based on the students’ level of instruction. In an interview, each student solved an interaction problem with graphic representations taken from their textbooks. There were two different types of task: a selection task and an interpretation task. The understanding and assessment of the adequacy of the graphic format were analysed categorically, and the differences between groups were studied. The data generally showed a low level of understanding of interaction graphs, although there were differences that revealed better results in the group with more instruction. Likewise, students generally preferred bar graphs over line graphs to represent interaction. However, students who clearly perceived the interaction chose line graphs to represent it. These data point to the need for statistical instruction based not only on the construction of graphs but also on their interpretation aimed at detecting conceptual relationships.