Effects of cognitive style and educational intervention on the interpretation of panoramic radiographs: a preliminary study

This study examined the influence of cognitive style on visual search and learning in dental students during the interpretation of mixed-dentition panoramic radiographs. The cognitive style of the students was classified as field-independent (FI) or field-dependent (FD) using a simplified Embedded Figures Test. Eye movements, pupil diameter, galvanic skin response (GSR), and pulse rate were recorded during image interpretation. Changes in diagnostic performance and physiological indices after deductive instruction were compared between the two groups. No significant group differences were found in conventional eye-movement metrics. The FI group showed increased correct detection after the intervention, accompanied by new fixations on previously unobserved regions of interest and reduced pupil diameter, suggesting reduced cognitive load. The FD group showed no improvement in diagnostic accuracy and tended to exhibit pupil dilation, increased GSR, and post-intervention pulse rate deceleration, suggesting sustained cognitive load and possible emotional arousal. These findings suggest that deductive instruction may be more compatible with FI learners than with FD learners, who may require more structured and stepwise guidance.