Experts: Advantages and Disadvantages

Paper Summary:

This paper defines experts as individuals who have developed expertise in problem solving, reasoning and creativity and are able to think in an effective manner about issues in their areas of expertise. The paper then discusses six key principles that experts use that novices do not and looks at several advantages to becoming an expert, while pointing s out that it can be a disadvantage in certain situations. The paper concludes that while becoming an expert is highly worthwhile, those who do so should be aware of possible limitations and learn ways to avoid such pitfalls.

From the Paper:

"There are six key principles that experts use that novices do not. First, experts are able to notice features and patters of information. Secondly, experts use their vast amount of acquired knowledge, which is organized in a way that shows a deep understanding of a subject. Third, expert knowledge cannot be reduced to isolated facts, but reflects knowledge in context. Fourth, experts can retrieve knowledge with little attention. Fifth, while experts may know their subject, they may not be able to teach others. Finally, experts vary in their ability to approach new situations (Bransford, 2000)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bransford, J.D. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C.: National Academic Press.
• Davidson, J.E. (2003). The psychology of problem solving. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Sternberg, R.J. (2006). Cognitive psychology, 4th Ed. Stamford, CT: Thompson Learning.

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