Deliberate practice can make anyone an expert in a field.

Is it true that deliberate practice can make anyone an expert in a field?

Partly. A meta-analysis reports deliberate practice explains only a modest share of performance variance across domains, and a replication and a forum discussion question strong practice-based claims. Other items treat deliberate practice as a framework for building expertise in specific fields, but none establishes that it can make anyone an expert.

Verdict: CONTESTED PARTIAL · 2 sources for, 3 against · Last checked 18 Oct 2026

The private library was unavailable for some searches in this check. Missing library results are not evidence against the claim.

D., H. K. (2017). Defining Deliberate Practice in Supervised Dietetics Education. eric.ed.gov. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED575599

Brooke, M. & Megha, M. (2019). Data from: The role of deliberate practice in expert performance: revisiting Ericsson, Krampe, & Tesch-Römer. zenodo.org. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.68db279

T., K. R. & P., W. A. (2009). Training Advanced Writing Skills: The Case for Deliberate Practice. eric.ed.gov. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ865119

Macnamara, B. N., Hambrick, D. Z., & Oswald, F. L. (2014). Deliberate practice and performance in music, games, sports, education, and professions: a meta-analysis.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797614535810

Can you generally learn any skill, noticeably well, with 20 hours practice?. (2014). skeptics.stackexchange.com. https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/23083/can-you-generally-learn-any-skill-noticeably-well-with-20-hours-practice