A new framework

Abstract

This chapter addresses some of the shortcomings of the research and theories of skill acquisition and transfer with the proposal of a new theory. Five principles of learning are presented, which were derived from the research reviewed in previous chapters. These principles are: practice leads to faster performance; practice leads to efficiencies in knowledge access; learning leads to less demand on working memory; as expertise increases, fewer mental resources are required to perform a particular task, enabling the development of a hierarchy of skills; and mastery in a domain involves the application of an array of component processes, with varying degrees of specificity to tasks and contexts, that are recruited in a manner that allows for consistent performance under stereotypical situations and flexible performance under unusual circumstances. The Component Theory of Skill Acquisition is described, followed by presentation of a number of implications of the theory for existing accounts of empirical phenomena in skill acquisition and transfer specifically, and cognitive psychology in general.