Evaluating Line Chart Strategies for Mitigating Density of Temporal Data: The Impact on Trend, Prediction, and Decision-Making

Abstract

Overplotted line charts can obscure trends in temporal data and hinder prediction. We conduct a user study comparing three alternatives-aggregated, trellis, and spiral line charts against standard line charts on tasks involving trend identification, making predictions, and decision-making. We found aggregated charts performed similarly to standard charts and support more accurate trend recognition and prediction; trellis and spiral charts generally lag. We also examined the impact on decision-making via a trust game. The results showed similar trust in standard and aggregated charts, varied trust in spiral charts, and a lean toward distrust in trellis charts. These findings provide guidance for practitioners choosing visualization strategies for dense temporal data.