Graphical perception

The cognitive process by which people extract quantitative information from visual data representations such as charts, graphs, and maps. Graphical perception involves comparing positions, lengths, areas, angles, and colours to make judgements about data values and relationships. Research has established a hierarchy of perceptual accuracy for different visual encodings (position is most accurate, followed by length, then angle, then area). For low-vision users, graphical perception is significantly affected by magnification dynamics, as the inability to see the entire chart simultaneously changes how comparisons are made and increases reliance on working memory.