Masters Thesis

Visualizing time: the influence of timeline axis and direction on causal reasoning in litigation law.

Can the visual-spatial representation of a sequence of events influence comprehension, causal reasoning and decision-making in litigation law? The present investigation addresses this question by examining the interaction between an individual’s preferred spatial construal of time (SCT) for a representational task and the SCT of a stimulus. One hundred fifty three undergraduates played the role of jurors in a fictitious civil litigation. The details of a case were recounted in a multimedia presentation of witness testimony, featuring an animated timeline in one of four orientations (Left-to-Right, Right-to-Left, Top-to-Bottom, and Bottom-to-Top). Participants were assessed on measures of comprehension, causal reasoning and decision-making. Results indicated effects of timeline orientation and SCT choice behavior on comprehension and reasoning. Results are discussed in terms of spatial and temporal cognition, and applied to the design of multimedia materials for the courtroom.

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