Abstract
Deliberate practice (DP) is a task-specific structured training activity that plays a key role in understanding skill acquisition and explaining individual differences in expert performance. Relevant activities that qualify as DP have to be identified in every domain. For example, for training in classical music, solitary practice is a typical training activity during skill acquisition. To date, no meta-analysis on the quantifiable effect size of deliberate practice on attained performance in music has been conducted. Yet the identification of a quantifiable effect size could be relevant for the current discussion on the role of various factors on individual difference in musical achievement. Furthermore, a research synthesis might enable new computational approaches to musical development. Here we present the first meta-analysis on the role of deliberate practice in the domain of musical performance. A final sample size of 13 studies (total N = 788) was carefully extracted to satisfy the following criteria: reported durations of task-specific accumulated practice as predictor variables and objectively assessed musical achievement as the target variable. We identified an aggregated effect size of rc = 0.61; 95% CI [0.54, 0.67] for the relationship between task-relevant practice (which by definition includes DP) and musical achievement. Our results corroborate the central role of long-term (deliberate) practice for explaining expert performance in music.
Highlights
Deliberate practice (DP) is a task-specific structured training activity that plays a key role in understanding skill acquisition and explaining individual differences in expert performance
Current research on individual differences in the domain of music is surrounded by controversial discussions: On the one hand, exceptional achievement is explained within the expertperformance framework with an emphasis on the role of structured training as the key variable; on the other hand, researchers working in the individual differences framework argue that abilities and other influential variables may explain observable inter-individual differences
As a result of our study selection, we identified studies which met the following 6 criteria: (1) they followed a hypothesistesting design; (2) they contained a correlation between accumulated deliberate practice and a corresponding task-related level of musical achievement; (3) the amount of relevant practice had to be accrued across at least 1 year, (4) musical performance had to be measured by means of objective criteria such as a computerbased assessment or expert evaluation based on psychometric scales (e.g., Hallam, 1998)
Summary
Current research on individual differences in the domain of music is surrounded by controversial discussions: On the one hand, exceptional achievement is explained within the expertperformance framework with an emphasis on the role of structured training as the key variable; on the other hand, researchers working in the individual differences framework argue that (possibly innate) abilities and other influential variables (e.g., working memory) may explain observable inter-individual differences (see Ericsson, 2014 for a detailed discussion). The expert-performance approach is represented by studies by Ericsson and coworkers (e.g., Ericsson et al, 1993) who assume that engaging in relevant domain-related activities, especially deliberate practice (DP), is necessary and moderates attained level of performance. In a more comprehensive and detailed definition, Ericsson and Lehmann (1999) refer to DP as a “Structured activity, often designed by teachers or coaches with the explicit goal of increasing an individual’s current level of performance. An individual’s involvement with a new domain entails the accumulation of experience, which may include practice components and lead to initially acceptable levels of performance. Note that in most studies DP is only indirectly estimated using durations of task-relevant training activities that include an unspecified proportion of non-deliberate practice components. The theoretical framework for the explanation of expert and exceptional achievement has been validated in various domains and is widely accepted nowadays www.frontiersin.org
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