title: Radiologists remember mountains better than radiographs, or do they?
abstract: Expertise with encoding material has been shown to aid long-term memory for that material. It is not clear how relevant this expertise is for image memorability (e.g., radiologists' memory for radiographs), and how robust over time. In two studies, we tested scene memory using a standard long-term memory paradigm. One compared the performance of radiologists to naïve observers on two image sets, chest radiographs and everyday scenes, and the other radiologists' memory with immediate as opposed to delayed recognition tests using musculoskeletal radiographs and forest scenes. Radiologists' memory was better than novices for images of expertise but no different for everyday scenes. With the heterogeneity of image sets equated, radiologists' expertise with radiographs afforded them better memory for the musculoskeletal radiographs than forest scenes. Enhanced memory for images of expertise disappeared over time, resulting in chance level performance for both image sets after weeks of delay. Expertise with the material is important for visual memorability but not to the same extent as idiosyncratic detail and variability of the image set. Similar memory decline with time for images of expertise as for everyday scenes further suggests that extended familiarity with an image is not a robust factor for visual memorability.
authors: The University of York , Department of Psychology, Heslington, York YO105DD, United Kingdom.
authors: Karla K
authors: KK
authors: Evans
authors: University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center , Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Unit 1475, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030, United States.
authors: Edith M
authors: EM
authors: Marom
authors: University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center , Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Unit 1475, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030, United States.
authors: Myrna C B
authors: MC
authors: Godoy
authors: The University of Arizona , College of Medicine, Department of Medical Imaging, 1501 North Cambell Avenue, Tucson, Arizona 85724-5067, United States.
authors: Diana
authors: D
authors: Palacio
authors: University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center , Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Unit 1475, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030, United States.
authors: Tara
authors: T
authors: Sagebiel
authors: University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center , Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Unit 1475, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030, United States.
authors: Sonia Betancourt
authors: SB
authors: Cuellar
authors: University of Sydney , Medical Image Optimisation and Perception Group, Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences (C42), Room M221, Cumberland Campus, Sydney NSW 2141, Australia.
authors: Mark
authors: M
authors: McEntee
authors: University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center , Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Unit 1475, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030, United States.
authors: Charles
authors: C
authors: Tian
authors: University of Sydney , Medical Image Optimisation and Perception Group, Discipline of Medical Radiation Sciences (C42), Room M221, Cumberland Campus, Sydney NSW 2141, Australia.
authors: Patrick C
authors: PC
authors: Brennan
authors: University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center , Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Unit 1475, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030, United States.
authors: Tamara Miner
authors: TM
authors: Haygood
keywords: memorability; observer performance studies; perceptual expertise; radiographs; visual episodic memory