arXiv · 2510.11912
Evaluating Line Chart Strategies for Mitigating Density of Temporal Data: The Impact on Trend, Prediction, and Decision-Making
Abstract
Overplotted line charts can obscure trends in temporal data and hinder prediction. We conduct a user study comparing three alternatives-aggregated, trellis, and spiral line charts against standard line charts on tasks involving trend identification, making predictions, and decision-making. We found aggregated charts performed similarly to standard charts and support more accurate trend recognition and prediction; trellis and spiral charts generally lag. We also examined the impact on decision-making via a trust game. The results showed similar trust in standard and aggregated charts, varied trust in spiral charts, and a lean toward distrust in trellis charts. These findings provide guidance for practitioners choosing visualization strategies for dense temporal data.
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Rifat Ara Proma, Ghulam Jilani Quadri, Paul Rosen. 2025-10-13. Evaluating Line Chart Strategies for Mitigating Density of Temporal Data: The Impact on Trend, Prediction, and Decision-Making. https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.11912
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