Is Gasoline Expensive

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Is Gasoline Expensive?

• the answers are coming from the people
• I590 - Visual Analytics 2008
• Kayce Reed, 2nd year Masters Student in HCId

image accessed on 1/22/08 from
http//www.henrycountian.com/2007/photos/may29_gas
_prices.jpg
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method

• survey to collect data, sample size of 40
• generate visualizations/graphs based on
  survey-reported data
• develop insights based on the resulting
  visualizations

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questions asked

• basic demographic information was collected
• (age, gender, industry)
• Do you believe that gasoline is expensive?
  Please describe why you chose that answer.
• What vehicle do you currently own? (year, make,
  model, and type)
• Please elaborate on the things that go into your
  decision making process when purchasing a vehicle

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is gasoline expensive?as reported from those
surveyed
31 9 23 6
8 3
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is gasoline expensive? as reported by those
surveyed in relation to the vehicle they drive
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(No Transcript)
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vehicle purchasing decisions is efficiency a
consideration in relation to the vehicle they
drive currently?
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insights gained

• participants who are likely to spend more on
  gasoline (those that drive SUVs and trucks) were
  more likely to report that gasoline is NOT
  expensive
• 77.8 said NO compared to 22.2 YES
• 50 of the participants who answered NO stated
  that they chose that answer because gasoline is
  much cheaper in the US in comparison to other
  parts of the world
• when asked why they believe gasoline is expensive
  or not, 64 of the women surveyed compared the
  price of gasoline to that of groceries in their
  response

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continued...

• participants who drive compact or mid-sized cars
  reported that gasoline is expensive in much
  higher numbers, this might be why they purchase
  these smaller vehicles
• 16.6 said not expensive compared to 83.3 who
  said expensive
• no one surveyed who owns a truck and only a
  single person who owns an SUV reported that
  efficiency was something they considered when
  purchasing a new vehicle

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thanks!
I welcome your questions and comments
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common reported "Yes responses

• It costs me gt 35 dollars to fill up my tank.
  When I first got my license gas was approx. 1
  per gallon. That's approximately a 200 increase
  from when I first started driving 11 years ago.
• "It is expensive because the oil companies are
  posting record profits and supply hasn't
  significantly changed over the last 2 years yet
  prices remain high.
• "I don't believe that I should spend what I make
  in one week at work on gasoline in one month.
  Filling up my gas tank is as much money as a
  week's worth of groceries for one person.
• "It doesn't seem like it actually costs anywhere
  near 3/gallon to produce gasoline, it seems like
  the price is based on demand, which is far too
  high."

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reported reasons for saying No

• "Comparative to the rest of the world, we've got
  it easy.
• "I do not necessarily think gas it too expensive.
  With inflation, inevitably gas is going to go
  up, but so is everything else.
• I'm rarely aware of how much gas is per gallon,
  perhaps if I was forced to drive more I would
  notice gas prices and be more inclined to feel
  they are expensive.
• "In comparison to other liquids, gasoline is less
  expensive than most. It is less expensive than a
  gallon of orange juice."