Individual differences in expertise development over decades in a complex intellectual domain

Abstract

Learners acquire expertise at different rates and reach different peak performance levels. Key questions arise regarding what patterns of individual differences in expertise development occur and whether innate talent affects such development. International chess is a good test domain for both issues, because it has objective performance measures, actual practice measures (number of games), longitudinal population data, and minimal gatekeeper influence. Players' expertise development typically follows either a logarithmic or a power-function curve, approaching asymptote by around 750 games. A comparison of eventual top players and other eventually well-practiced players typically reveals a performance difference at domain entry, which widens progressively with practice and then stays large and constant. The data show various correlated signs of apparent greater natural talent in eventual top players: precocity (indexed by entering the domain and gaining the grandmaster title much younger on average), faster acquisition of expertise (indexed by fewer years and games needed to gain the grandmaster title from domain entry), and a higher peak performance level after extensive actual practice. A factor analysis found evidence for an underlying natural talent factor that constrains ultimate performance level.

Testing the accuracy of the retrospective recall method used in expertise research

“…Data from studies in music, chess, and sports have been used to suggest that practice alone is the key factor in determining expertise level (Ericsson, 2006;Howard, 2009), a view embraced in several disciplines and in the popular domain (Colvin, 2008;Gladwell, 2008;Ross, 2006).…”

Selecting the Better Model by Using Data, Occam's Razor, and a Little Common Sense: Reply to Ericsson

“…Certainly, Howard (2009; in press-a) used only elite internationally rated players. They may have played in local tournaments for years before list entry.…”

“…Figure 1 presents the problem's essence. The top two lines are from Howard (2009, Figure 3) and involve players who entered the international domain in 1985-1989, played at least 740 FIDE-rated games, and eventually made the top 10 or who had not become grandmasters by 2006. The initial group difference progressively widens and then stays very large and constant.…”

“…Only 9.4% of the 436 cited opportunity factors, such as no money to travel to tournaments or few tournaments nearby. However, dropout was controlled for in Howard (2009;in press-a).…”

A Critique of Howard's Argument for Innate Limits in Chess Performance or Why We Need an Account Based On Acquired Skill and Deliberate Practice

“…In his recent paper, Howard (in press) cited Sir Francis Galton (1869Galton ( / 1979 and his claim that there exists an innate limit that sets a unique upper bound for each person's performance. In an earlier paper, Howard (2009) reported evidence from an analysis of mostly international-level chess players (roughly the top 1-2% of all competitive players) suggesting evidence for innate talent. For example, the best of the best players increased in performance as function of playing matches in international Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) tournaments, whereas other chess players exhibited little or no performance improvement.…”