ABSTRACT
What makes novice and expert performance so different? At first glance, one might suggest that the answer is simple. It is the quality of overt behavior that separates exceptional performers from those less skilled. We can all point to many real-world examples of such performance differences—just try comparing any professional athlete to his or her recreational counterparts. However, although actual performance is one component that differentiates novice from well-learned execution, researchers who approach skill acquisition from a cognitive perspective believe that these overt performance distinctions are only part of the picture. Indeed, these distinctions are viewed as merely the surface-level manifestation of skill level differences. The cognitive control structures that drive performance are what is thought to truly distinguish beginners from more advanced performers (Chase & Simon, 1973). More specifically, experts' ability to organize their knowledge in meaningful ways and to be able to access this knowledge on demand sets highly-skilled performers apart from others (Ericsson & Polson, 1988; Richman, Staszewski, & Simon, 1995).
