A human cognition framework for information visualization

•We present a human cognition framework for information visualization.•It explicitly articulates the connection between visualization and cognition.•It focuses on close interaction between visualization designers and subject-matter experts.•Effective visualizations should influence attention and influence memory.•We offer 6 leverage points to link human cognition to information visualization.

We present a human cognition framework for information visualization. This framework emphasizes how top-down cognitive processing enables the induction of insight, reasoning, and understanding, which are key goals of the visual analytics community. Specifically, we present a set of six leverage points that can be exploited by visualization designers in order to measurably influence certain aspects of human cognition: (1) exogenous attention; (2) endogenous attention; (3) chunking; (4) reasoning with mental models; (5) analogical reasoning; and (6) implicit learning.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload high-quality image (78 K)Download as PowerPoint slide