11 PSY 365, Deliberate Practice

7/31/2019 11 PSY 365, Deliberate Practice

1/116


2/116

deliberate practice & thepath to genius


3/116

Practice & Genius

Extraordinary ability comes fromextraordinary training K. Anders Ericssons deliberate

practice theory

Probably no innate talents orgifts Usually practice in disguise

Experts are good at practicing


4/116

How We Can Spot an Expertor Exceptional Ability?

Reproducible superior performance

Performance: something observable

& public (not secret and inner)

Superior: better than other people

Reproducible: can do it on demand(more or less), can controlperformance, can understand whatthey are doing and why it works


5/116

Nature of Deliberate Practice

Aimed at improving Targeted at weaknesses, not at strengths

Stresses the skill

Unpleasant, effortful Not fun, not play, not for enjoyment Usually failures

Highly repetitive, time consuming

Guided by an expert coach or mentor Systematic in difficulty and complexity


6/116

Practice Hours vs Other Hours

You can have a lot of hours withessentially no practice

How people play guitar

How people write & sketch

How people play sports

How people type

Unsystematic practice

Some improvement; quickly hit a ceiling

Without deliberate practice, you wontimprove much


7/116

Exceptionality

Experts practice an abominable amount---normal people often do not believe it

Michael Howe, Genius Explained

2000, gifted amateur

10000, genius

For 10,000 hours:

1 year, 27 hours per day

2 years, 13 hours per day

5 years, 5.5 hours per day 8 years, 3.5 hours per day

10 years, 2.7 hours per day

20 years, 1.4 hours per day


8/116

Practice vs Innate Talents

Ericsson: probably no innatetalents

Thus far, no strong evidence

Note: most people disagree


9/116

Mediocrity

We are mediocre because:1. We are not trying to become great

2. Our practice is unsystematic

3. No one is helping us

4. We dont have the time todedicate to practice

5. NOT because we lack an innategift


10/116

What About Personality andAll That?

Personality, etc., is importantbecause it enables people to

acquire practice and to attractmentors


11/116

Personality

DeliberatePractice ExpertiseOther Skills& Abilities

Mentors,Supportive

Environments


12/116

Fatigue & Burnout: Enemiesof Genius

Expertise takes many hours ofpractice; burnout & fatigue arethus big problem

Athletic training

Mental exhaustion

Thus the good at practicing

idea Balance training with rest


13/116

The Development of Expertise

Expertise starts young

Need 10 years to get over 10000

practice hours

Shift from play to practice tofull-time practice


14/116


15/116

Study 1: Violin Expertise

Ericsson, Krampe, & Tesch-Roemer(1993)

30 young German violinists (early 20s) 10 intl renowned experts (early 50s)

Three groups Highly skilled (likely soloists)

Pretty good Music education


16/116

Research Questions

1. How much are they practicing?

Does skill correspond with practice?

2. How are they managing fatigueand burnout?


17/116

Research

Practice Diaries

Measured practice each day for a

week Estimated practice per year since

they started playing violin


18/116

Practiceacross

the day


19/116


20/116

Managing Fatigue

Taking breaks during the day

Sleeping, napping


21/116


22/116

Deliberate Practice

The best students practice morehours, practice smarter

(napping, breaks)

Lets look at the hours ofpractice over the lifespan


23/116

What would a talent theorysay about this?


24/116

Lifetime Practice

What about past practice?


25/116

Again, what would a talenttheory say?


26/116

Study 2: Expert & NovicePiano Players

10 experts

10 amateurs

What was the nature of their

practice?


27/116

Practice That Week


28/116

Past Weekly Practice


29/116

Lifetime Practice


30/116

Recap

Expertise was a function ofpractice

More skill, more practice

The best had more practice

Many times over, sometimesexponentially

If they had a gift, it didnt letthem practice less


31/116

Role of Adult Teachers &Mentors

How do adults matter?

Expertise starts early, soinvestment by adults is essential


32/116

Development of ReadingExpertise

Reading is unnatural

Vast differences between adults One of the single biggest

predictors of educational success

Why? Why the massive,profound difference?


33/116


34/116

Reading in Early Life & EarlyChildhood

Reading before reading: 0 to 5

preconventional readers

Role of parents, peers, and

mentors

Fewer parents than youd think

do this


35/116

Mol & Buss (2011)

Cascading upward spiralsofearly reading into adulthood

A snowball effect

early edge becomes bigger andbigger


36/116

How Early?

Prenatal reading DecaspersOn human bonding

Rat research

0 to 6 months rhetorical sound, vocab

the feel of books and reading


37/116


38/116

Toddler & Preschool Reading

6-24 months

vocab

parent training

relation between words, sounds, & images

building an enjoyment of the process of

reading

2 years to 5 years

vocab, alphabet, & spelling

tacit narrative structures

intersentential coherence

consolidating a love of reading


39/116


40/116

When Could IndependentReading Happen?

How young is too young?


41/116

Childhood Development ofExpertise

The Ericsson research ispowerful, but

All with adults, not with kids

Small groups, too

Mostly retrospective

remember past practice


42/116

Back to Music(John Sloboda & Michael Howe)

How do children develop intoelite musicians?

Why do some flourish and otherflop?

Is it talent?

How do parents, friends, &teachers help?


43/116

Sloboda & Howes (1996)study

Interviewed 257 British children &their families Comprehensive interview

5 skill levels

1: students in an elite music academy(119 kids)

2: applied, but didnt get in (30 kids) 3: inquired, but didnt apply (23 kids) 4: attended a weak music school (27

kids) 5: used to play, but quit (58 kids)


44/116

Some Cool Aspects

Big sample: a lot of kids

Huge skill differences

Groups 1-4 started at the same

(early) age


45/116


46/116


47/116

Practice in the Early Years


48/116

A Daily Diary Study

Sloboda and Howe got 94 of thekids to track their practice

Every week for 42 weeks (!)

Compare Ericssons 1 week

Objective, accurate info aboutpractice


49/116

Daily Practice (42 week avg)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Playing Scales PracticingPieces

Total

MinutesPerDay

Elite

School

Mid-

Range

Weak

School


50/116

Practice is no fun

Ericsson: deliberate practice iseffortful and unpleasant

What did the kids do onvacation?

No teachers to pester them about

practicing


51/116

Slacking (sort of)

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

Term Time Vacation Time

HoursPracticePerWeek

Elite

School

Mid-Range

Weak

School


52/116

Summary of Sloboda & Howe

Practice differences = skill differences

Practice differences appear in the

very first year of playing

In everyday life, the best practice atleast 4 times as much as the worst

Again, if innate musical talentexists, it doesnt let you practice less


53/116

Shifting Gears

For world-class musicalaccomplishment, practice iseverything

How do they do it? How is thispossible?


54/116


55/116

Lauren Sosniak (1985)

Studied 22 exceptional young pianists

Overall, their parents had surprisinglylittle musical knowledge or interest Not likely to play an instrument, listen to

sophisticated music

Over half were musically naive

BUT, they were highly supportive of

the childs interest and practice Encouraging

Sitting in on lessons

Making practice more enjoyable


56/116

Chess Expertise

What about chess?

Maybe music is somehow special

Chess is nerdier, has a bunch ofbraniacs

Special talent?

Some children show incredibleskill, which suggests special gifts


57/116

Neil Charness & Co.(2005,Applied Cognitive Psychology)

Deliberate practice & chess Reading strategy books

Working through classic matches

Training with a master tutor

Children learn from mentors

Tournament play: not really

practice Face one person, deal with only afew problems

Usually face a weak opponent


58/116


59/116

Lifetime Practice

You know whats coming


60/116


61/116


62/116

What Else PredictedAchievement?

Chess grandmasters:

More practice per week currently

More hours of private tutoring as achild

Hours spent in tournaments?

Zero effect. It isnt practice.


63/116

So

Chess and music are the same

The world-class best:

Have the most lifetime practice (usually 4times as much as the pretty good)

Still spend more hours per week practicing

What About Early Talent?


64/116

What About Early Talent?

So far, theres little evidence forspecial, innate, inborn gifts or talents Accomplished people spend more time

practicing

Recast: When do adults attribute agift to a child?

1. Child seems to like it more than

other children

2. Child seems a bit better than theother children


65/116

1. Talented Children Like itMore

Sloboda & Howe: most of the childrenwere forced to start playing

School curriculum

Parents forced them to do it

They became exceptional because ofpractice; they didnt choose to start

Skill makes it more fun Practice Fun, not Fun Practice

2 T l t d Child Bit


66/116

2. Talented Children are a BitBetter than Other Kids

Talent can be a self-fulfillingprophecy

Musch & Grondin (2001): there are

surprising influences on whetherchildren seem to have gifts

Birthdays of Gifted and


67/116

Birthdays of Gifted andDelayed Children(Musch & Grondin, 2001)

In one study, 61% of children in agifted class were born in the samemonth

Why?

Children in the learning disabledclass were more likely to be born 1 or2 months earlier than the gifted

children Weirdwhy?

RAE: Relative Age Effect


68/116

RAE: Relative Age Effect(Musch & Grondin, 2001)

Gifted students and athletes aremore likely to be born right after anarbitrary cut-off

This makes them older than the otherkids

More knowledge, more real-world practice

Physically bigger, more developed

Investing in them then makes thembetter

Hence the self-fulfilling prophecy


69/116


70/116

RAE & Professional Athletes

Ice Hockey: youth playing seasonstarts in January

Barnsley (1985): Over half of NHL

players born in January, February, &March

9 to 12 months older than other childrenat start of 1st season

More likely to be picked & thus to practice& play in games

Younger kids more likely to drop out orget weeded out


71/116

Is it really birthdays?

Australian youth league soccer(Musch & Grondin, 2001)

Pre-1988 cutoff: January 1 Soccer pros born in February-

March

Changed to August 1 in 1988 Ten years later, soccer pros

typically born September-October


72/116

Soccer Pros in Brazil &Germany

Germany: northern hemisphere

Brazil: southern hemisphere

Opposite seasons; good months to play

soccer outside are reversed

Same league cutoff (August 1)

Same clustering of birthdays amongprofessional players (after cutoff)


73/116

Revisiting Giftedness

Adults view kids as gifted forsubtle but wrong reasons

Picking them then causes themto seem gifted

Opportunities, resources, practice


74/116

Are there really no innateskills?

What about language-learning ability? Some people speak a lot of languages

Some people say that its hard for them tolearn 2nd languages

Children are clearly better at 2ndlanguage learningright?

2nd language-learning seems like aspecial, innate gift NOTE: 1st vs 2nd language learning


75/116

But is it?

Bialystok &Hakuta (1995)

Everyone isequally able tolearn 2ndlanguages

No advantagefor children

b f


76/116

Reasons to be Skeptical ofInnate Skill

National differences inlanguages spoken

Denmark: 5.5 (!)

USA: barely over 1

Are Danish people gifted?

S h d


77/116

So What Predicts Expertise ina 2nd Language?

Wait for it wait for it

Deliberate practice: number ofhours spent speaking Hours learning grammar, learning

words less important


78/116


79/116

How Not to Learn Spanish

Take an immersion course (like atUNCG) Children learn it this way

Immersion is a ridiculous way to

teach an adult a second language The first language is a resource

The practice isnt really deliberate 1. Learn from an expert

2. Get immediate feedback 3. Focus on weaknesses, not strengths


80/116

The Diplomat Way


81/116

The Diplomat Way

U.S. Foreign Service Institute Full-time language learning (30 hours per week)

Focus on speaking (not writing)

20 weeks (4.5 months) to learn: Spanish, French, Italian, German

24 (5.5 months) weeks to learn:

Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Portuguese,Afrikaans, Swahili

32 weeks (7 months) to learn: Malay, Indonesian

44 weeks (10 months) to learn: Russian, Bulgarian, Urdu, Turkish, Czech, Greek,Korean, Hebrew, Finnish, Arabic

Structured practice with an expert teacher is thekey


82/116


83/116


84/116


85/116


86/116

Is It All Just Practice?

Whats the other side?

Two likely gifts and talents:

1. Intelligence as a gift/talent

2. Motivation as a gift/talent


87/116

Diffuse Gifts vs Specific Gifts

Specific gift special ability to learn something,

like music, sports, chess, writing,etc, faster than someone else

Diffuse, global gift

the ability to learn anything faster

than someone else Intelligence and motivation

Intelligence as a Talent


88/116

Intelligence as a Talent

Ability to solve unfamiliarproblems, to discern rules, tothink abstractly

The ability to learn

High IQ people learn faster, moredeeply, & can master morecomplicated material


89/116


90/116

(Fluid) Intelligence Helps All


91/116

( ) g pLearning Ever work in a restaurant?

Anyone without a lot to invest?

Ever join a study group? Ever teach or tutor?

Know anyone who cant travel without aGPS?

Know anyone who has caused several caraccidents?

Know anyone who cant delay gratification orinhibit impulses?

Intelligence PredictsA hi i M A


92/116

Achievements in Many Areas

Grades at all levels of schooling

Lifetime earnings

Job success

Car accidents

Arrest, incarceration, violence

IQ d M i A hi t


93/116

IQ and Music Achievement(Ruthsatz et al., 2008)

Study of high school &conservatory musicians

Hours of practice stronglypredicted musical skill

But IQ did, too (r= .20)

IQ and Piano Sight Reading


94/116

IQ and Piano Sight Reading(Meinz & Hambrick, 2010)

What is sight reading?

Mozart, Piano Sonata no. 1 in C


95/116

IQ and Piano Sight Reading


96/116

IQ and Piano Sight Reading(Meinz & Hambrick, 2010)

Hours of practice stronglypredicted sight reading

Around 50% of variance

But IQ did, too

Around 8%


97/116


98/116

G b l (2007) H f


99/116

Grabner et al. (2007): Hours ofpractice strongly predicted

chess ability

But great chess players also

have much higher intelligence low IQ players dont start chess

low IQ players give up and dropout


100/116

M i i Gif


101/116

Motivation as a Gift

Again, diffuse giftsvsspecificgifts

How do people sustainthousands of hours of practice?

Motivation fosters practice;practice fosters excellence


102/116

Motivation is Mysterious


103/116

Motivation is Mysterious

Where does a rage to mastercome from? What makes peoplethis motivated?

Most people think they are moremotivated, dedicated, &committed than they really are


104/116


105/116


106/116


107/116


108/116


109/116


110/116

College Students (& PsycM j ) E l


111/116

Majors) as an Example

How motivated are moststudents, really?

Common interview traps: What are you doing?

What are you reading?


112/116

Wrapping Up Gifts


113/116

Wrapping Up Gifts

Intelligence and motivation

The ability to learn

The ability to do, persist, & try

Why do some people havemore?

Reflecting on Psychology of


114/116

g y gyExpertise

Freakish amount of practice isnecessary for greatness

But intelligence & motivation help,too If there are gifts, these are probably

gifts

Its easy to see why we are all soaverage


115/116


116/116

Date post:	05-Apr-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	mrclark2
View:	219 times
Download:	0 times

11 PSY 365, Deliberate Practice

Documents