Theory,practice and the psychology of expertise

The following paper examines the contribution that relatively recent discoveries about the nature of expertise can make to an understanding of the relationship between theory and its application. Commencing with an example of how a theory might be developed, it takes elements of this example, such as the creation of generalisations based on pattern recognition, learning over time from experience, intuitive practice and so on, and provides a commentary on them using what is known of the movement from novice to expert. With the foregoing background the paper then goes on to explain some of the processes that lead to a failure to explicitly apply theoretical principles to practice. Finally, it examines the role played by differing levels of experience in determining the readiness with which theory may be applied and ways in which the intuitive use of theory can be developed.