10.6084/m9.figshare.3102544.v1
Alexander Toet
Alexander
Toet
Color and Uncertainty: It is not always Black and White
figshare
2016
color
visualisation
uncertainty
Applied Psychology
2016-03-10 16:47:40
Dataset
https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Color_and_Uncertainty_It_is_not_always_Black_and_White/3102544
<div><p>To fully comprehend the meaning and impact of visualized
data it is crucial that users are able to perceive and comprehend the inherent
uncertainty of the data in a correct and intuitive way. Data uncertainty is
frequently visualized through color mappings. Previous studies argued that
color hue is not suitable for communicating uncertainty because most hue scales
lack an intrinsic perceptual order. In this paper we examine the use of hue for
communicating data uncertainty in more detail. We investigated the potential of
distinct color triples (rather than the entire spectrum of colors, as used in
previously studies) to represent different levels of uncertainty.We identified several
color triples that reliably map to an intuitive ordering of certainty. Bipolar
color scales constructed from these color triples can be used to communicate
uncertainty in visualizations, particularly to audiences of nonspecialists. A
‘traffic light’ configuration (with red and green at the endpoints and either
yellow or orange in the middle) communicates uncertainty most intuitively.</p></div>