Perception of statistical presentations-investigated by means of Internet experiments

A main responsibility of a national statistical office is to disseminate statistical information about the state and development of the country to its citizens. In statistical presentation, it has been assumed that statistical tables are particularly useful and required for precise analysis and research, charts are suitable for fast visual orientation of the main trends within the area on which information is requested, and that textual or vocal presentations are best suited for mass media presentation, such as in newspapers, television, or Internet news services. To date, there have been few studies of how the general public recipient perceives information in these various formats. The primary objective has been to investigate how these three presentation forms for statistical facts are perceived and interpreted by general public readers of statistical information. A second purpose has been to study the utilization of a Web based experiment built on statistical design principles.