An expert advantage in detecting unfamiliar visual signals in noise

Abstract

Diagnostic radiologists are experts in discriminating and classifying medical images for clinically significant anomalies. Does their perceptual expertise confer an advantage in unfamiliar visual tasks? Here, this issue was investigated by comparing the performance of 10 radiologists and 2 groups of novices on the ability to detect novel visual signals: band-limited textures in noise. Observers performed a yes/no detection task in which texture spatial frequency and external noise levels were varied. The task was performed on two consecutive days. Contrast thresholds and response bias were measured. Contrast thresholds of radiologists were superior to the control groups in all stimulus conditions on both days. Performance improved by an equivalent amount for all groups across days. Response bias differed consistently across stimulus conditions and days but not across groups. The difference in thresholds between the radiologists and control groups suggests that experience in diagnostic medical imaging produces perceptual skills that that transfer beyond the trained domain.