A study described by Swets (1998) indicated that radiologists provided with a "reading aid" (checklist of features and a response scale) were better able to distinguish a cancerous tumor from a benign cyst than radiologists without the aid. In SDT terms, this means the radiologists _______.
A) with the reading aid were more conservative than those without
B) with the reading aid were more liberal than those without
C) without the reading aid were more influenced by disease prevalence than those who used the aid
D) with the reading aid showed greater sensitivity than those without

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The reading aid improved the radiologists' ability to distinguish between cancerous tumors and benign cysts, indicating an increase in sensitivity, which in Signal Detection Theory (SDT) terms means they were better at correctly identifying signals (in this case, cancerous tumors) from noise (benign cysts).

A Study Described by Swets (1998) Indicated That Radiologists Provided