Cognition for Visualization

Catalog description

An essential element of being able to create optimal visual displays of data is an understanding of the human cognitive system. What are its limitations? What are the data formats that it finds easiest to interpret? This course will survey basic and applied research on cognition with the goal of understanding how humans process information. Topics include attention, perception, memory, reasoning and decision making. This research will be applied to the design of visual displays of data that minimize cognitive processing load and maximize comprehension. Cross-listed with PSYC 3214 Cognitive Psychology. Prerequisite: C- or better in PSYC 1101 .