Which is a weakness of some data displays?

• A. Hard to see trends and anomalies
• B. Provide too much detail
• C. Are always quick to interpret
• D. Show clear trends without data

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that the usefulness of a data display hinges on how clearly it shows patterns. A common weakness is when the design hides trends and anomalies, so you can’t easily see how data are changing or spot unusual points. This happens if the axes are poorly scaled or not starting at zero, if there’s too much clutter or overlapping data, or if labels and legends are unclear or misleading. When readability suffers like this, a gradual increase, a small dip, or an outlier can be missed, which defeats the purpose of presenting the data.

If a display were always quick to interpret, that would be a strength, not a weakness, so that option doesn’t fit. And a display showing trends without data isn’t meaningful, since trends come from the data itself. While too much detail can also hinder interpretation, the specific weakness here is the difficulty in detecting patterns and anomalies.