5s1: Seeing the Visual: A Literature Review and Agenda for the Study of Influential Visualizations

Abstract

Visualizations increasingly influence policies and politics on complex topics, like technological innovations and transitions. But how? Based on a quantitative and qualitative Social Network Analysis (SNA) of 77 academic papers in policy and political science journals, we identified five explanatory roles of visuals: 1) sensemaking devices for interpreting complex information; 2) emotional triggers to strategically manipulate the viewers' sentiments and emotions for political gains; 3) objects of political meaningmaking: 4) visual language with structures of symbols and signifiers 5) icons that convey social and cultural norms.