The Shape Parameter of a Two-Variable Graph
研究了双变量图形中形状参数（数据跨度的水平与垂直距离之比）对斜率信息视觉解码的影响，通过历史、实证、理论和实验分析，提出了一种选择形状以最大化斜率判断准确性的方法。
Abstract The shape parameter of a two-variable graph is the ratio of the horizontal and vertical distances spanned by the data. For at least 70 years this parameter has received much attention in writings on data display, because it is a critical factor on two-variable graphs that show how one variable depends on the other. But despite the attention, there has been little systematic study. In this article the shape parameter and its effect on the visual decoding of slope information are studied through historical, empirical, theoretical, and experimental investigations. These investigations lead to a method for choosing the shape that maximizes the accuracy of slope judgments.