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Research indicates that becoming an expert on something requires

a) Only innate talent
b) Extensive training and practice
c) Intuition and guesswork
d) No specialized knowledge

1 Answer

2 votes

Final answer:

Becoming an expert requires extensive training and practice, not just innate talent or guesswork. Expertise develops through accumulating knowledge and refining skills, which can lead to reliable intuition among experts. However, novices are prone to misjudging their own knowledge due to the Dunning-Kruger effect.

Step-by-step explanation:

Research indicates that becoming an expert on something requires extensive training and practice. While some might argue for the importance of innate talent, intuition, or guesswork, the majority of evidence supports the notion that expertise is developed over time through education, reason, and especially experience. This process allows individuals to accumulate knowledge and refine their skills, which in turn builds intuition in their field of expertise. This intuition is a form of a priori knowledge, which can be reached not only through reason but also can be enhanced by experience, such as learning multiplication through both memorization of tables and understanding mathematical principles.


Experts, who have spent considerable time honing their skills, can often trust their intuition because it is based on a vast reservoir of knowledge and experience. However, novices are prone to errors in judgement and should be wary of relying on gut reactions. This idea is underpinned by concepts such as the Dunning-Kruger effect, which suggests that novices may overestimate their own expertise. Indeed, it often takes substantial time and effort to acquire the ability for accurate self-assessment of one's knowledge and skills. As such, training, practice, and a willingness to learn from others with more expertise are key to developing true expertise in any field.

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