A Television Manufacturer Sold Three Times as Many Televisions in 2005

question 59

Essay

A television manufacturer sold three times as many televisions in 2005 as it did in 1995. To illustrate this fact, the manufacturer draws a graph as shown below. The television on the right is three times as tall and three times as wide as the television on the left. Why is this graph misleading? What visual impression is created by the graph?

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Definitions:

Sir Frederic Bartlett

A pioneering British psychologist known for his work in cognitive psychology, especially on memory and schema theory.

Emotional Memories

Memories that are strongly influenced by the emotions felt at the time of the event, which can significantly impact the way those memories are recalled.

Confabulation

A memory disturbance, the production of fabricated, distorted, or misinterpreted memories about oneself or the world, without the conscious intention to deceive.

Third Birthday

A celebration marking the completion of three years of life.