Can 10,000 hours of practice make you an expert? - BBC News

A much touted theory suggests that practising any skill for 10000 hours is sufficient to make you an expert. Is that true? Imagesource,OtherAmuch-toutedtheorysuggeststhatpractisinganyskillfor10,000hoursissufficienttomakeyouanexpert.Noinnatetalent?Notaproblem.Youjustpractice.Butisittrue?OnemanwhodecidedtotestitisDanMcLaughlin,34,aformercommercialphotographerfromPortland,Oregon."Theideacamein2009.Iwasvisitingmybrotherandwedecidedtoplayaparthree,nine-holecourse,"hesays."Ihadneverreallybeenonagolfcourseandwentoutandshota57,whichishorrible.It's30overparonaneasynine-holecourse."Farfrombeingdiscouragedbyhisapparentlackofanynaturaltalentforgolf,Danandhisbrotherstartedtalkingaboutwhatitwouldtaketobecomeaprofessionalgolfer.Dansoondecidedhewantedtotry."WhenIannouncedIwasgoingtoquitmyjob,myco-workersstartedbringingbooksinandIreadMalcolmGladwell'sOutliers,GeoffColvin'sTalentisOverratedandTheTalentCodebyDanielCoyle,"hesays."Thesebooksallhadthisideaof10,000hoursinthem."The10,000-hoursconceptcanbetracedbacktoa1993paperwrittenbyAndersEricsson,aProfessorattheUniversityofColorado,calledTheRoleofDeliberatePracticeintheAcquisitionofExpertPerformance.IthighlightedtheworkofagroupofpsychologistsinBerlin,whohadstudiedthepracticehabitsofviolinstudentsinchildhood,adolescenceandadulthood.Allhadbegunplayingatroughlyfiveyearsofagewithsimilarpracticetimes.However,atageeight,practicetimesbegantodiverge.Byage20,theeliteperformershadaveragedmorethan10,000hoursofpracticeeach,whilethelessableperformershadonlydone4,000hoursofpractice.Thepsychologistsdidn'tseeanynaturallygiftedperformersemergeandthissurprisedthem.Ifnaturaltalenthadplayedaroleitwouldn'thavebeenunreasonabletoexpectgiftedperformerstoemergeafter,say,5,000hours.AndersEricssonconcludedthat"manycharacteristicsoncebelievedtoreflectinnatetalentareactuallytheresultofintensepracticeextendedforaminimumof10years".ItisMalcolmGladwell'shugelypopularbook,Outliers,thatislargelyresponsibleforintroducing"the10,000-hourrule"toamassaudience-it'sthenameofoneofthechapters.Imagesource,APImagecaption,GladwellputsgreateremphasisthanEricssononnaturaltalentButEricssonwasnotpleased.Hewrotearebuttalpaperin2012,calledTheDangerofDelegatingEducationtoJournalists."The10,000-hourrulewasinventedbyMalcolmGladwellwhostatedthat,'Researchershavesettledonwhattheybelieveisthemagicnumberfortrueexpertise:10,000hours.'Gladwellcitedourresearchonexpertmusiciansasastimulusforhisprovocativegeneralisationtoamagicalnumber,"Ericssonwrites.Ericssonthenpointedoutthat10,000wasanaverage,andthatmanyofthebestmusiciansinhisstudyhadaccumulated"substantiallyfewer"hoursofpractice.Heunderlined,also,thatthequalityofthepracticewasimportant."Incontrast,Gladwelldoesnotevenmentiontheconceptofdeliberatepractice,"Ericssonwrites.GladwellcountersthatEricssondoesn'treallythinkthattalentexists."WhenhedisagreeswiththewayIinterpretedhiswork,it'sbecauseIdisagreewithhim,"hesays."Ithinkthatbeingvery,verygoodatsomethingrequiresabighealthydoseofnaturaltalent.AndwhenItalkabouttheBeatles-theyhadmassesofnaturaltalent.Theywereborngeniuses.Ericssonwouldn'tsaythat."Ericsson,ifyoureadsomeofhiswritings,is...sayingtherightkindofpracticeissufficient."Imagesource,AFPImagecaption,Talentedorjusthardworkers?GladwellplaceshimselfroughlyinthemiddleofaslidingscalewithEricssonatoneend,placinglittleemphasisontheroleofnaturaltalent,andattheotherendawritersuchasDavidEpstein,authoroftheTheSportsGene.Epsteinis"abitmoreofatalentpersonthanme"Gladwellsuggests.Oneofthedifficultieswithassessingwhetherexpert-levelperformancecanbeobtainedjustthroughpracticeisthatmoststudiesaredoneafterthesubjectshavereachedthatlevel.Itwouldbebettertofollowtheprogressofsomeonewithnoinnatetalentinaparticulardisciplinewhochoosestocomplete10,000hoursofdeliberatepracticeinit.Andwecan,thankstoourwannabeprofessionalgolfer,DanMcLaughlin."IbegantheplaninApril2010andIbasicallyputtedfromonefootandslowlyworkedawayfromthehole,"hesays."EighteenmonthsintoitIhitmyfirstdriverandnowit'sapproachingfouryearsandI'mabouthalfway.SoI'm5,000hoursintotheproject.Mycurrenthandicapisrightata4.1andthegoalistogetdowntoaplushandicap[belowzero]whereIhavetheskillsettocompeteinalegitimatePGAtourevent."DavidEpsteinhopesthatMcLaughlincanreachhisgoal,buthehassomedoubts.Inthesportingworldinnateabilityismandatory,hebelieves.Arecentstudyofbaseballplayers,Epsteinpointsout,foundthattheaverageplayerhad20/13visionasopposedtonormal20/20vision.Whatthismeansisthattheycanseeat20feetwhatanormalpersonwouldneedtobeat13feettoseeclearly.Thatgivesahitteranenormousadvantagewhenitcomestostrikingaballbeingthrowntowardsthemat95mphfrom60feet(or153km/hfrom18m).Usingananalogyfromcomputing,Epsteinsaysthehardwareissomeone'svisualacuity-orthephysiologyoftheireyethattheycannotchange-whilethesoftwareisthesetofskillstheylearnbymany,manyhoursofpractice."Nomatterhowgoodtheirvisionis,it'slikealaptopwithonlythehardware-withnoprogrammesonit,it'suseless.Butoncethey'vedownloadedthatsoftware,oncetheyhavelearnedthosesports-specificskills,thebetterthehardwareisthebetterthetotalmachineisgoingtobe."Butisthereasimplerwaytothinkaboutallthis?Maybetalentedpeoplejustpractisemoreandtryharderatthethingthey'realreadygoodat-becausetheyenjoyit?"Imaginebeingincalculusclassonyourfirstdayandtheteacherbeingattheboardwritinganequation,andyoulookatitandthink'Wow,that'sthemostbeautifulthingI'veeverseen,'whichsomepeopledo,"saysGladwell."Forthosepeopletogohomeanddotwohoursofcalculushomeworkisthrilling,whereasfortherestofusit'sbeyondachoreandmorelikeanightmare."Thosethathavedonethetwohours'practicecomeinthefollowingdayandeverythingiseasierthanitisforthosewhodidn'tenjoyitinthefirstplaceanddidn'tdothetwohours'homework."WhatDanMcLaughlinishopingisthatwhathelacksininnatetalenthemorethanmakesupforwithhis10,000hoursofdeliberatepractice.IfDan'splangoeswellhecouldbemixingitwiththelikesofTigerWoodsandRoryMcIlroyin2018.Ifnot,hewilljustbeaverygoodgolfer.Follow@BBCNewsMagazineonTwitterandonFacebookTopStoriesLive. RussiaannouncestemporaryceasefireintwobesiegedcitiesBlinken:UkrainecanabsolutelywinthewarPublished8hoursagoCanChinadomoretostopRussia'swaronUkraine?Published7hoursagoFeaturesOilpriceriseworriesIndiaafterUkraineinvasionTheright-wingbrigadeinpursuitofaHindustate.VideoTheright-wingbrigadeinpursuitofaHindustateWhoarethemega-richRussiansfacingsanctions?UkrainiansfindingsanctuaryinPolishhomes.VideoUkrainiansfindingsanctuaryinPolishhomes'Manic'crabscapturedonunderwatercamera.Video'Manic'crabscapturedonunderwatercameraTheflat-packwaterheaterthatfightsclimatechange.VideoTheflat-packwaterheaterthatfightsclimatechangeHowLiverpoolwastransformedintoGothamCityTheTikTokerspreadingviralUkrainewarvideosKevinConnolly:EuropeanpeaceseemsasfragileaseverElsewhereontheBBCThefall-outfromadrunkenonenightstand...Asituationthatisabouttogetsuperawkward!Canchocolatereallybehealthy?Thesecretbenefitsofeatingoneofourfavouritetreats'Iwasgonefromthisworldforfiveminutes'ChristianEriksenreflectsonhislifeoverthepasteightmonthsMostRead1Blinken:Ukrainecanabsolutelywinthewar2TheRussiansleavingtheircountryforFinland3Whydoesn'tUkraineattacktheRussianconvoy?Andotherquestions4ZelenskyslamsNatooverrejectionofno-flyzone5TheTikTokerspreadingviralUkrainewarvideos6Whoarethemega-richRussiansfacingsanctions?7'Mycity'sbeingshelled,butmumwon’tbelieveme'8CanChinadomoretostopRussia'swaronUkraine?9WhyhasPutininvadedUkraine?10'Lifeiscrumbling'-Russiansonboycottsandsanctions