The Relationship Between Deliberate Practice and Performance in Sports: A Meta-Analysis Brooke N. Macnamara, David Moreau, and David Z. Hambrick Why are some people more skilled in complex domains than other people? According to one prominent view, individual differences in performance largely reflect individual differences in accumulated amount of deliberate practice. Here, we investigated the relationship […]
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STUDY ALERT: Top 10 Replicated Findings From Behavioral Genetics
Top 10 Replicated Findings From Behavioral Genetics Robert Plomin, John C. DeFries, Valerie S. Knopik, Jenae M. Neiderhiser In the context of current concerns about replication in psychological science, we describe 10 findings from behavioral genetic research that have replicated robustly. These are “big” findings, both in terms of effect size and potential impact on […]
STUDY ALERT: Reverse engineering genius: historiometric studies of superlative talent
Reverse engineering genius: historiometric studies of superlative talent Dean Keith Simonton Although genius has been defined in the dictionary as requiring an IQ above 140, this definition depends on an arbitrary methodological decision made by Lewis Terman for his longitudinal study of more than 1500 intellectually gifted children, a study that occupies four of the […]
STUDY ALERT: Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics
[Note: This work was supported by a grant from the Imagination Institute] Creative Cognition and Brain Network Dynamics Roger E. Beaty, Mathias Benedek, Paul J. Silvia, and Daniel L. Schacter Creative thinking is central to the arts, sciences, and everyday life. How does the brain produce creative thought? A series of recently published papers has […]
STUDY ALERT: Much Ado about Grit: A Meta-Analytic Synthesis of the Grit Literature
Much Ado about Grit: A Meta-Analytic Synthesis of the Grit Literature Marcus Credé, Michael C. Tynan, Peter D. Harms Grit has been presented as a higher-order personality trait that is highly predictive of both success and performance and distinct from other traits such as conscientiousness. This paper provides a meta-analytic review of the grit literature with […]
STUDY ALERT: The Nature of Creativity: The Roles of Genetic Factors, Personality Traits, Cognitive Abilities, and Environmental Sources
The Nature of Creativity: The Roles of Genetic Factors, Personality Traits, Cognitive Abilities, and Environmental Sources Christian Kandler, Rainer Riemann, Alois Angleitner, Peter Borkenau, Frank M. Spinach, Lars Penke, Georg August This multitrait multimethod twin study examined the structure and sources of individual differences in creativity. According to different theoretical and metrological perspectives, as well as suggestions […]
Commencement Speech
On May 14, 2016 I had the honor of giving the featured talk at the UPenn Psychology Graduation Ceremony at the Penn Museum. Here is the transcript of my talk, in which I offer the graduating seniors suggestions on how to live a happy, fulfilling life. — Hello and a warm welcome to parents, professors, and […]
Review of ‘Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance’
Angela Duckworth’s long-awaited book Grit has finally arrived! It’s getting great reviews (e.g., NY Times), and it has set off hugely important debates in education and in scientific circles. Make no doubt: Grit is great. It’s a lucid, informative, and entertaining review of the research Angela has assiduously conducted over the past decade or so. The book also includes suggestions on how to develop grit, and how we […]
Is Narcissism a Character Strength?
I’ve been thinking lately of conceptualizing narcissism as part of the character strength “justice”, although it’s a particular form that is turned exclusively inward. It occurs to me that when the ego of the narcissist is threatened, his or her actions and anger mirrors the actions and anger of people who fight for social justice […]
The Taboo of Selfishness
“People are their own slave drivers; instead of being the slaves of a master outside of themselves, they have put the master within. This master is harsh and cruel. He does not give them a moment’s rest, he forbids them the enjoyment of any pleasure, does not allow them to do what they want. If […]
Creativity Is Much More Than 10,000 Hours of Deliberate Practice
In his new book “Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise“, psychologist Anders Ericsson and journalist Robert Pool distill an impressive body of research on “mastering almost any skill.” Indeed, deliberate practice can help you master new skills. Deliberate practice involves a series of techniques designed to learn efficiently and purposefully. This involves goal setting, breaking down […]
Rethinking Expertise: A Multifactorial Gene–Environment Interaction Model of Expert Performance
Rethinking Expertise: A Multifactorial Gene–Environment Interaction Model of Expert Performance Fredrik Ullén, David Zachary Hambrick, and Miriam Anna Mosing Scientific interest in expertise—superior performance within a specific domain—has a long history in psychology. Although there is a broad consensus that a long period of practice is essential for expertise, a long-standing controversy in the field […]