Where's Checkmark?

November 21, 2006 10:16 PM

Have you seen this trend/pattern/graph? The trend I'm looking for looks like a "checkmark". The x-axis is time. The y-axis can be related to rating/score/likeability/satisfaction (even toss me some goofy ideas).

Basically, I need to find trends in life that start high, dip, and then steadily increase, so the y-axis can be:

Approval ratings for politicians
Stock prices for startups
Popularity of certain fashion products
IMDB movies ratings
Customer satisfaction for car rental services

[except I made all those up]

Bonus points if it's general (trend applies to most stocks/politicians/movieratings/products)

Double bonus points if the trend/pattern/graph has been published somewhere.

posted by tasty to Science & Nature (5 answers total)

What you're referring to is usually called the J-Curve and can be found all over the place. The point at which the trend changes from downward to upward is also referred to as the inflection point and might be used to locate references to trends like the ones you listed above. I hope that helps!
posted by ad_hominem at 10:22 PM on November 21, 2006

And this trend has been published as The J-Curve, although in this case it specifically refers to the concept that although closed states are less stable than open states, initially they will become less stable as they become more open.

Also, one problem with the J-Curve is that it tends to have a steeper up curve than down curve. It sounds like you want a curve that decreases faster than it increases.
posted by Deathalicious at 12:20 AM on November 22, 2006

Also known as the hockey stick curve (to help with the googling).
posted by Leon at 12:33 AM on November 22, 2006

AKA the "dood, it's all cool, see" plot.
posted by sourwookie at 12:41 AM on November 22, 2006

The "J-shaped curve" appears with the phenomenon called Hormesis in toxicology/epidemiology. Consider, for example, alcohol dosage and morbidity.

Think of the x-axis representing morbidity, the y axis representing average daily dose of alcohol. People that drink nothing at all are at the very left-edge, with higher morbidity than those that knock back two 40 oz's glasses of wine every day (who show up in the "bottom" of the J). The farther to the right you go, that hormetic effect is gobbled up by the negative attributes of large amounts of alcohol. Go figure.
posted by garfy3 at 2:36 AM on November 22, 2006