Impact of Information Presentation Form and Visual Illusion In the Accuracy of Financial Information Analysis Accounting Students

Abstract

Decision makers as human beings have limitations in information processing. New ways have been developed to overcome these limitations. One of these methods is to use different forms of information presentation. However, there is always a misinterpretation in the visual representation that can lead to poor decisions. This poor decision can be due to the visual illusion that decision-makers encounter when reading accounting information. Therefore, the present study investigates the effect of information presentation form and visual illusion on the accuracy of accounting students' financial information analysis. This research is a descriptive and quasi-experimental application. The statistical population is undergraduate and doctoral students in accounting in 2021. 198 people were selected by random sampling method, assuming an unknown population. One-way analysis of variance was used to test the hypotheses and LSD post hoc test (least significant difference method) was used to interpret the mean differences between the groups. The results of this study show that there is a significant difference between different forms of information presentation in the direction of financial information analysis. The accuracy of the analysis of financial information presented in the form of a table is higher and better than linear and bar charts. Also, financial information displayed in three-dimensional graphics, without grid lines, creates a visual illusion and reduces the accuracy of information analysis of financial information readers. The results of this study help to develop the existing research background on how to present information by providing empirical evidence of how financial information is judged and analyzed by users.