ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a model of the processes shaping subjective perceptions of skill that is grounded in realist theory. It begins by outlining some of the basic principles of realism that have informed the data collection and construction of the model. This entails a brief digression to describe some principles of realism and an explanation of why specific causal powers have been defined as either structural or agency mechanisms. Finally, the chapter presents the model to explain subjective perceptions of skill, and the causal processes that shape them.
