Presenting time‐series data as absolute versus relative changes impacts judgments and choices
研究比较了图表中使用绝对变化（如美元变动）与相对变化（如百分比）对消费者判断和行为的影响，发现绝对图表因视觉斜率更陡，导致人们预期更快增长，并影响捐赠、投资等决策。
Abstract We examined how different ways of presenting time‐series data affect consumer judgments and behaviors. Specifically, we compared the use of absolute terms (e.g., actual dollar change) versus relative terms (e.g., annual percentage change) in charts. Our findings revealed that absolute charts tend to have a more positive visual slope than relative charts, leading consumers to extrapolate these trends and expect faster growth in quantities. In Study 1, participants who viewed COVID‐19 data in absolute charts, as opposed to relative charts, donated more money to a COVID‐19‐related charity and were less inclined to challenge quarantine advisories throughout the day. In Study 2, we observed that participants preferred investing in a country when its GDP was presented in an absolute chart, and visual trends were found to drive this effect. Study 3 demonstrated that individuals placed greater emphasis on absolute charts depicting population growth, particularly when the unit of measurement was more meaningful. Overall, the choice to represent data in absolute versus relative terms has a far reaching impact on judgments and choices.