In a study, researchers asked radiologists to detect faint tumors in chest X-rays under two conditions. In condition A, they were told tumors were rare; in condition B, they were told tumors were common. Hit rates and false alarm rates were recorded. Radiologists in condition B identified more tumors correctly but also produced more false alarms than those in condition A. Sensitivity to the actual signal was unchanged.
A potential confound in interpreting condition B's results would be if radiologists in that condition also
- Acheck_circle
had more clinical experience than those in condition A
- B
viewed identical X-ray sets
- C
received the same training as condition A
- D
completed the task in the same room
Explanation
Differing experience levels between groups would confound the criterion manipulation, because expertise itself can change both sensitivity and criterion placement.