
Scandinavian psychologists identify five key characteristics required to become an expert in any given field.

Becoming an expert in any field takes time and dedication, and many people think they have a good amount of knowledge to be deemed as an expert. But Scandanavian psychologists have identified 5 key characteristics that need to be visible to become an expert in any given field.
“It seems that certain factors need to be present to become an expert within any given field,” says Professor Hermundur Sigmundsson at NTNU’s Department of Psychology.
These decisive factors are:
- Focused training
- Passion
- Grit
- A positive mindset
- Mentors
The journal New Ideas in Psychology has just published an article that presents a theoretical model and a new scale that assesses passion in relation to a skill.
“A key concept in this context is to find an area that you’re interested in. That’s how we can light the spark,” says Sigmundsson.
The commonly accepted refrain is that 10 000 hours of practice are necessary to become really good at something. Although the number of hours offers little more than a hint, there is no doubt that a lot of practice and focus are essential to get really good. In other words, you have to practice exactly what you want to excel in.
So who is inclined to devote this much time to an activity? What makes a person willing to put so much effort into being the best at bending free-kicks like a banana, or giving that extra little push on the run-up to the 50K race, or solving complicated equations or writing a novel?
“You need something more. You need a passion for what you’re doing. You have to burn for it,” says Sigmundsson.
But grit, the perseverance and motivation to keep at an activity over time, is also key.
“In addition, you need a positive mindset, an attitude of ‘I can achieve this,'” Sigmundsson says.
And it’s unlikely that you can manage the journey alone. You most likely need a mentor – someone who can show you the way and who supports you. This should be someone with the right knowledge base to stand by you for the long time required to become proficient.
Passion for an area or a topic or skill is thus a key factor in achieving one’s goals.
“Passion sets the direction of your arrow, but grit determines the strength and size of the arrow,” says Sigmundsson.
Men generally find the strongest connection between passion and grit. They spend a lot of energy on what they’re passionate about. For women, the strongest connection seems to be between grit and a positive mindset.
The study included 126 participants and forms the basis for the article. This article is also linked to other articles and a book that has recently been written on the criteria for success. The research at NTNU on learning and skills development has been going on for almost 30 years.
Several researchers have been working on the Norwegian book Ekspertise. Utvikling av kunnskap og ferdigheter [Expertise. Development of knowledge and skills] during the past four to five years. In their research, they studied what factors enabled selected individuals to excel in their fields. These characters include H. C. Andersen, Charles Darwin and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, among others.
In the book, Magnus Carlsen’s father, Henrik Albert Carlsen, describes his son’s path to becoming the world’s best chess player. Vidar Halldorsson writes about the Icelanders and their success in sports such as handball.
Anders Ericsson writes about those prerequisite 10 000 hours of training and that experts are always “made, not born.”
###
Source: The Passion Scale: Aspects of reliability and validity of a new 8-item scale assessing passion. H. Sigmundsson, M. Haga, F. Hermundsdottir.
more recommended stories
Autism, ADHD and school absence are risk factors for self-harm
Research links school and hospital data..
Trainee teachers made sharper assessments about learning difficulties after receiving feedback from AI
A trial in which trainee teachers.
Sport improves concentration and quality of life
Study with primary school pupils confirms.
Sexual harassment is reported to be common in Scottish secondary schools
Visual, verbal and personally invasive harassment.
Study finds that US classrooms with more Black and Latinx students receive lower quality of teaching
Results are outlined in article “Teaching.
Excess screen time impacting teen mental health
Research from The University of Queensland,.
Adolescents’ well-being and learning during COVID-19 linked to psychological needs
Multi-country analysis highlights importance of experiencing.
Nature draws out a happy place for children
New study explores children's perception of.
A gender gap in negotiation emerges between boys and girls as early as age eight
Understood to persist between men and.
Fellow students improve grades
Peers personalities can influence your own.
Leave a Comment