Expertise as something developed
Ericsson’s research investigated the training histories and practice activities of expert performers. The work made practice design and mental representations central questions in the study of excellence.
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FIND ANDERS ERICSSON 01 — 02
01Explore Peak
02Explore Deliberate practice 
PEOPLE WORTH GETTING TO KNOW
Anders Ericsson
What it means to practice getting better.
Anders Ericsson studied the development of expertise. In Peak, written with Robert Pool, he brings that research into a discussion of how people learn and improve.
Peak is the accessible introduction selected here. His research papers provide a more precise account of the terminology and evidence behind the ideas.
A CLOSER LOOK
The story behind it.
Peak, purposeful practice, and the science of developing expertise.
The entry point is Peak
Peak, written with Robert Pool, distinguishes purposeful practice from the narrower concept of deliberate practice. Those ideas have their own pages here.
Sources for this closer look
Peak · publisher (opens in a new tab)Florida State University · Anders Ericsson (opens in a new tab)A GOOD PLACE TO BEGIN
If you only explore two things.
Book
Peak
Anders Ericsson & Robert Pool
Secrets from the New Science of Expertise. A starting point for understanding Ericsson's research into practice and exceptional performance.
Explore the book →Idea
Deliberate practice
Practice informed by expertise
In Ericsson's framework, deliberate practice is a specific form of purposeful practice, informed by established knowledge of expert performance and effective training methods, often with a qualified teacher.
Explore the idea →FOLLOW YOUR CURIOSITY
More worth your time.
Idea
Purposeful practice
A related idea with a broader definition than deliberate practice.
Explore this selection →Sources & credits
Introductions are grounded in the sources below. Collection notes and reading prompts provide an editorial starting point; personal opinions are identified in the collection’s content.