Visual Inference and Graphical Representation in Regression Discontinuity Designs
回归不连续设计中的视觉推断与图形呈现
Despite the widespread use of graphs in empirical research, little is known about readers' ability to process the statistical information they are meant to convey ("visual inference"). We study visual inference within the context of regression discontinuity (RD) designs by measuring how accurately readers identify discontinuities in graphs produced from data generating processes calibrated on 11 published papers from leading economics journals. First, we assess the effects…