Is Uncertain Data Less Believable? Displaying Uncertainty in Data Visualizations Decreases Belief Update via Lower Processing Fluency but Increases It through Trust among Highly Numerate Individuals.

Giuseppe Gruttad'Auria; Michael Puntiroli; Adrian Bangerter; Adrian Holzer; Valéry Bezençon

Is Uncertain Data Less Believable? Displaying Uncertainty in Data Visualizations Decreases Belief Update via Lower Processing Fluency but Increases It through Trust among Highly Numerate Individuals.

Giuseppe Gruttad'Auria^*
, Michael Puntiroli
, Adrian Bangerter
, Adrian Holzer
, Valéry Bezençon

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Intelligent Operations and Marketing

Research output: Chapter in Book or Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Proceeding › peer-review

Abstract

Displaying uncertainty—such as confidence intervals—in data visualizations influences consumers’ belief update regarding the visualization’s narrative. Uncertainty decreases belief update by lowering processing fluency but increases belief update among numerate consumers by increasing trust. These dual pathways affect belief update in opposite directions.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Is Uncertain Data Less Believable? Displaying Uncertainty in Data Visualizations Decreases Belief Update via Lower Processing Fluency but Increases It through Trust among Highly Numerate Individuals
Subtitle of host publication	Is Uncertain Data Less Believable? Displaying Uncertainty in Data Visualizations Decreases Belief Update via Lower Processing Fluency but Increases It through Trust among Highly Numerate Individuals
Publication status	Published - 2025
Event	Association for Consumer Research - Washington DC, USA Duration: 9 Oct 2025 → 11 Oct 2025 https://acrwebsite.org/events/acr25/

Conference

Conference	Association for Consumer Research
Abbreviated title	ACR
Period	9/10/25 → 11/10/25
Internet address	https://acrwebsite.org/events/acr25/

Cite this

Gruttad'Auria, G., Puntiroli, M., Bangerter, A., Holzer, A., & Bezençon, V. (2025). Is Uncertain Data Less Believable? Displaying Uncertainty in Data Visualizations Decreases Belief Update via Lower Processing Fluency but Increases It through Trust among Highly Numerate Individuals. In Is Uncertain Data Less Believable? Displaying Uncertainty in Data Visualizations Decreases Belief Update via Lower Processing Fluency but Increases It through Trust among Highly Numerate Individuals: Is Uncertain Data Less Believable? Displaying Uncertainty in Data Visualizations Decreases Belief Update via Lower Processing Fluency but Increases It through Trust among Highly Numerate Individuals

Gruttad'Auria, Giuseppe ; Puntiroli, Michael ; Bangerter, Adrian et al. / Is Uncertain Data Less Believable? Displaying Uncertainty in Data Visualizations Decreases Belief Update via Lower Processing Fluency but Increases It through Trust among Highly Numerate Individuals. Is Uncertain Data Less Believable? Displaying Uncertainty in Data Visualizations Decreases Belief Update via Lower Processing Fluency but Increases It through Trust among Highly Numerate Individuals: Is Uncertain Data Less Believable? Displaying Uncertainty in Data Visualizations Decreases Belief Update via Lower Processing Fluency but Increases It through Trust among Highly Numerate Individuals. 2025.

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title = "Is Uncertain Data Less Believable? Displaying Uncertainty in Data Visualizations Decreases Belief Update via Lower Processing Fluency but Increases It through Trust among Highly Numerate Individuals.",

abstract = "Displaying uncertainty—such as confidence intervals—in data visualizations influences consumers{\textquoteright} belief update regarding the visualization{\textquoteright}s narrative. Uncertainty decreases belief update by lowering processing fluency but increases belief update among numerate consumers by increasing trust. These dual pathways affect belief update in opposite directions.",

author = "Giuseppe Gruttad'Auria and Michael Puntiroli and Adrian Bangerter and Adrian Holzer and Val{\'e}ry Bezen{\c c}on",

year = "2025",

language = "English",

booktitle = "Is Uncertain Data Less Believable? Displaying Uncertainty in Data Visualizations Decreases Belief Update via Lower Processing Fluency but Increases It through Trust among Highly Numerate Individuals",

note = "Association for Consumer Research<br/>, ACR ; Conference date: 09-10-2025 Through 11-10-2025",

url = "https://acrwebsite.org/events/acr25/",

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Gruttad'Auria, G, Puntiroli, M, Bangerter, A, Holzer, A & Bezençon, V 2025, Is Uncertain Data Less Believable? Displaying Uncertainty in Data Visualizations Decreases Belief Update via Lower Processing Fluency but Increases It through Trust among Highly Numerate Individuals. in Is Uncertain Data Less Believable? Displaying Uncertainty in Data Visualizations Decreases Belief Update via Lower Processing Fluency but Increases It through Trust among Highly Numerate Individuals: Is Uncertain Data Less Believable? Displaying Uncertainty in Data Visualizations Decreases Belief Update via Lower Processing Fluency but Increases It through Trust among Highly Numerate Individuals. Association for Consumer Research
, 9/10/25.

Is Uncertain Data Less Believable? Displaying Uncertainty in Data Visualizations Decreases Belief Update via Lower Processing Fluency but Increases It through Trust among Highly Numerate Individuals. / Gruttad'Auria, Giuseppe; Puntiroli, Michael; Bangerter, Adrian et al.
Is Uncertain Data Less Believable? Displaying Uncertainty in Data Visualizations Decreases Belief Update via Lower Processing Fluency but Increases It through Trust among Highly Numerate Individuals: Is Uncertain Data Less Believable? Displaying Uncertainty in Data Visualizations Decreases Belief Update via Lower Processing Fluency but Increases It through Trust among Highly Numerate Individuals. 2025.

Research output: Chapter in Book or Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Proceeding › peer-review

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AU - Puntiroli, Michael

AU - Bangerter, Adrian

AU - Holzer, Adrian

AU - Bezençon, Valéry

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - Displaying uncertainty—such as confidence intervals—in data visualizations influences consumers’ belief update regarding the visualization’s narrative. Uncertainty decreases belief update by lowering processing fluency but increases belief update among numerate consumers by increasing trust. These dual pathways affect belief update in opposite directions.

AB - Displaying uncertainty—such as confidence intervals—in data visualizations influences consumers’ belief update regarding the visualization’s narrative. Uncertainty decreases belief update by lowering processing fluency but increases belief update among numerate consumers by increasing trust. These dual pathways affect belief update in opposite directions.

M3 - Conference Proceeding

BT - Is Uncertain Data Less Believable? Displaying Uncertainty in Data Visualizations Decreases Belief Update via Lower Processing Fluency but Increases It through Trust among Highly Numerate Individuals

T2 - Association for Consumer Research<br/>

Y2 - 9 October 2025 through 11 October 2025

ER -

Gruttad'Auria G, Puntiroli M, Bangerter A, Holzer A, Bezençon V. Is Uncertain Data Less Believable? Displaying Uncertainty in Data Visualizations Decreases Belief Update via Lower Processing Fluency but Increases It through Trust among Highly Numerate Individuals. In Is Uncertain Data Less Believable? Displaying Uncertainty in Data Visualizations Decreases Belief Update via Lower Processing Fluency but Increases It through Trust among Highly Numerate Individuals: Is Uncertain Data Less Believable? Displaying Uncertainty in Data Visualizations Decreases Belief Update via Lower Processing Fluency but Increases It through Trust among Highly Numerate Individuals. 2025