Visualizing in the Mind's Eye: Icon Design Shapes Mental Imagery of Fire Risks

2026-07-25

AI Summary

This study investigates how data visualization design influences fire risk decision-making through mental imagery. In a preregistered controlled experiment, the authors compared the effects of abstract geometric icons versus concrete house-on-fire icons on users’ mental imagery and emotional responses, assessing these effects via mediation analysis and a self-report mental imagery scale. Contrary to conventional assumptions favoring concreteness, abstract icons elicited more diverse and personalized mental imagery, which in turn amplified negative affect and led participants to adopt more risk-averse decisions. These findings uncover a novel mechanism by which visual concreteness shapes risk judgments—mediated by mental imagery and emotion—and challenge the prevailing notion that concrete visual representations are inherently more effective in risk communication.

Abstract

We introduce mental imagery, or seeing images in the "mind's eye," as a cognitive process that can be shaped by data visualization design and in turn impact decisions. We found in a preregistered study (n = 400) that abstract geometric icons visualizing fire risk data evoked more mental images than concrete house-on-fire icons, and also produced more diverse and personalized mental images. Mediation analysis showed that increased mental imagery subsequently led to risk-averse decisions through evoking negative affect. These findings reveal a nuanced mechanism through which visualization concreteness influences decisions: concrete designs may actually suppress affect-driven behavior by restricting mental imagery.

Problem

• mental imagery
• data visualization
• risk perception
• icon design
• decision making

Innovation

• mental imagery
• data visualization
• risk communication
• icon design
• affective decision-making