Graphical statistics as an option for the improvement of learning in Psychology

Many students have difficulties in the appreciation of concepts related to statistical problems. Various researches have determined how students’ aptitude to solve statistical proofs can be affected by the methods of displaying data. The application of distinct visual aids could improve statistical reasoning, sustaining the principle of graphical facilitation. Some authors did not agree with this point of view, highlighting the complications related to the use of illustrations; they upheld that visual aids could burden the cognitive system with unserviceable information. We confront the basic level of statistical reasoning on probabilities regarding two methods of problem arrangement: verbal-numerical and graphical. Students in Spain and Italy solved the homolog and paired problems in a verbal-numerical and graphical way, in different sequences. Analysis of the correctness of responses and the reasoning applied, managed to compare these ways of presentation and to clarify the cognitive process applied in the problem solving.