Expertise in interpreting dental radiographs

In order to gain insight into the development of expertise in interpreting dental radiographs an experiment was done in which three groups of 5 observers, with different levels of expertise, inspected 16 dental radiographs. Based on their verbal reports it was concluded that novices pay significantly more attention to visually conspicuous areas, whereas experts pay significantly more attention to cognitively conspicuous areas. Eye movements of two groups of 8 observers were registered during interpretation of a radiograph. Analysis of their eye fixation patterns revealed that even in the case of interpreting a radiograph that, based on verbal reports, contained the same conspicious areas for all groups, there were significant differences between the groups in eye fixation patterns.