Thinking graphically: Extracting local and global information

This study investigates how information is extracted from a graph when different types of questions are asked. Although the process for extracting local information from simple graphs is understood quite well, the processes used to extract global information from more complex graphs are not as clear. In a series of two studies using verbal protocols and eye tracking, we compared responses to local and global questions. We replicated previous research on local questions, and show that people extract global information using a different set of cognitive processes.