Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

"A rhetorical account of expertise and expert status that is informed by research in allied fields, including Science, Technology, and Society studies, psychology, education, and philosophy"--

Expertise. --- Rhetoric.

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Ability --- Expertise --- Study and teaching --- Psychology

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

What is expertise? A modest answer implies good competence possessed by individuals with acknowledged skill. Although this interpretation implies adequate competence, a more precise definition signifies exclusive competence that experts are able to exhibit consistently. Such expertise falls within two categories: normatively exclusive expertise lies at the upper extreme of distributions for skills practiced by many people: another form refers to exclusive skills practiced by few people. Although both these forms typically show peak performance levels in early to mid-adulthood, objective comparisons outside this range often make use of age-graded categories. For example, competitions for junior and master athletes enable comparison of athletic prowess within categories pertaining to youth and later life, respectively. This Research Topic focuses on understanding human potential across the lifespan. Indicators of human potential include superior performances, relative to those by age peers, during given historical epochs. Examples used in previous research include record or top ranked performances in athletics and swimming, top ratings by chess players, high levels on objective measures of occupational or recreational performance, and superior laboratory performance after sustained periods of focussed deliberate practice. General modeling of such data indicates a necessity for sustained and focussed deliberate practice for the acquisition and maintenance of expertise. Focussed deliberate practice at the acquisition stage contributes to cognitive or physiological gains that enable transitions across a sequence of states relevant to expertise. Continuation of such practice contributes to the maintenance of expertise and, together with compensation and adaptation, helps to lessen performance loss beyond the period of peak performance. More specific models include those that emphasize the physiological underpinnings of expertise in different activities, cognitive techniques used to enhance performance, tactics within competitive activities, strategies pertaining to repeated performances, supportive influences on the development and retention of expertise, and statistical modeling of age trends. From a life span perspective, such modeling should take account of three temporal trends that, by consensus, provide the methodological foundations for lifespan research. These trends are historical transition (e.g., in participation rates and types of training in sport), cohort differences (i.e., cross-sectional trend) and age changes (i.e., longitudinal trend). Issues in modeling that require attention include (but are by no means limited to) the following: a) discussion about appropriate data analytic procedures to distinguish developmental and aging effects from those associated with cohort differences and historical era; for example, the extent to which developmental effects can be modelled for use in identifying talent in sport; b) investigation of the generalizability of findings from top performers: for example, the extent to which their age trends generalize to those of lesser ability; c) examination of issues related to attrition from databases of top performances: for example, attrition from such databases as age-class records and annual ‘Top N’ performance rankings arise from deletion of entries replaced by superior subsequent performances, in addition to reasons associated with morbidity, mortality, and loss of interest.

sport --- expertise --- creativity --- successful aging --- age trends

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

When we think about expertise, we usually consider people who master tasks at a level not reachable by most other people. Although we rarely realise it, however, most humans are experts in many aspects of everyday life. This expertise enables us to find our way through a complex environment that is our life. For instance, we can instantly recognise multiple objects and relations between them to form a meaningful unit, such as an office. Thus, research on expertise is not only important to investigate the cognitive and neural processes within an “elite” group, but it is also a powerful tool to understand how everyone can acquire complex skills.The goal of this RESEARCH TOPIC is to shed further light on the common and distinct neural mechanisms that implement various kinds of expertise. We broadly define expertise as skill in any perceptual, cognitive, social or motor domain, with the common core being optimised information processing due to knowledge acquired from repeated experiences. Thus, we are interested in the full range of mental processes modulated or modified by expertise, from “simple” object or pattern recognition to complex decision making or problem solving in a particular domain. These domains can range from everyday or occupational expertise to sports and rather artificial domains such as board games. In all cases, the aim should be to elucidate how the brain implements these sometimes incredible feats. We are particularly interested in connecting cognitive theories about expertise and expertise-related performance differences with models and data on the neural implementation of expertise.

Expertise. --- Cognition. --- Neurology. --- fMRI --- Sport --- Board games --- Language --- MRI --- Music --- EEG --- Perception --- Expertise

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Neurophysiological and psychological modifications induced by meditation practice have been consistently addressed by neuroscience. Training meditation practice induced plasticity (Barinaga, 2003; Knight, 2004), and as a consequence several benefit for mental and physical health (Davidson & McEwen, 2012), and cognitive performance. One goal of meditation is to achieve the light of consciousness observing with equanimity (the right distance) clouds of the mind wandering. This Frontiers Research Topic brings together studies from groups of authors whose research focus on neuropsychological systems involved in meditation demonstrating how meditation activates and can modify brain areas, cognitive mechanisms and well-being.

Meditation --- Research. --- fMRI --- Attention --- Neuropsychology --- Expertise --- Meta-analysis