The DOI matches its Crossref record; 49 of the 49 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Acquisition of cognitive skill
Abstract
A framework for skill acquisition is proposed in which there are two major stages in the development of a cognitive skill--a declarative stage in which facts about the skill domain are interpreted and a procedural stage in which the domain knowledge is embodied directly in procedures for performing the skill. This general framework has been instantiated in the ACT system in which facts are encoded in a propositional network and procedures are encoded as productions. Two types of interpretive procedures are described for converting facts in the declarative stage into behavior--general problem-solving procedures and analogy-forming procedures. Knowledge compilation is the process by which the skill transits from the declarative stage to the procedural stage. It consists of the subprocesses of composition which collapses sequences of productions into single productions and proceduralization which embeds factual knowledge into productions. Once proceduralized, further learning processes operate on the skill to make the production more selective in their range of applications. These learning processes include generalization, discrimination, and strengthening of productions. Comparisons are made to similar concepts from past learning theories. It is discussed how these learning mechanisms apply to produce the power law speed-up in processing time with practice. Much of the evidence for this theory of skill acquisition comes from work on acquisition of proof skills in geometry but other evidence is drawn from the literature on automatization, language acquisition, and category formation. (Author)
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In the citing paper
“In our study, we focused on declarative and procedural learning as cognitive abilities underlying the acquisition of cognitive skills (Anderson, 1982(Anderson, , 1983)).”
From Testing the three-stage model of second language skill acquisition (2025) · cites this paper as Anderson, 1982
In the citing paper
“Skill acquisition in ACT-R begins by acquiring declarative knowledge about a skill through instruction or observing someone else's performance.”
From Testing the three-stage model of second language skill acquisition (2025) · cites this paper as Anderson, 1982
In the citing paper
“In fact, ACT-R includes a mechanism of declarative strengthening at work in the later two stages, which functions to increase the accuracy and speed of retrieving declarative knowledge (Anderson, 1982(Anderson, , 1983)).”
From Testing the three-stage model of second language skill acquisition (2025) · cites this paper as Anderson, 1982
In the citing paper
“Drawing on cognitive perspectives, engaging in routine or familiar work tasks reinforces and refines what is already known (Anderson 1982).”
From Workplace participatory practices: Conceptualising workplaces as learning environments (2004) · cites this paper as Anderson 1982
In the citing paper
“Contemporary theories of skill acquisi- tion (Anderson, 1982 ; Fitts & Posner, 1967) are consistent with Galton's general assump- tions about basic unmodifiable capacities and with observations on the general course of professional development.”
From The Influence of Experience and Deliberate Practice on the Development of Superior Expert Performance (2006) · cites this paper as Anderson, 1982
In the citing paper
“Cognitive learning theories hold that in overcoming problems, new learning arises (Anderson 1982).”
From Workplace participatory practices: Conceptualising workplaces as learning environments (2004) · cites this paper as Anderson 1982
In the citing paper
“That is, the effects of practice are greatest at earlystages of learning, but theyeventuallyreach asymptote.”
From FREQUENCY EFFECTS IN LANGUAGE PROCESSING: A Review with Implications for Theories of Implicit and Explicit Language Acquisition (2002) · cites this paper as Anderson, 1982
In the citing paper
“It is a form of learning that follows well-established principles of the acquisition of complex skills (Anderson, 1982; Fitts & Posner, 1967; Taatgen, 2013).”
From Working memory training involves learning new skills (2019) · cites this paper as Anderson, 1982
Citations
Cites
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Schneider, W., & Shiffrin, R. M. (1977) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/0033-295x.84.1.1 · Cited by 5,902
Cognitive Psychology and Its Implications
Anderson, J. R. (2014) · Cited by 4,121
Self-citationBrown, R. W. (1960) · Language · doi:10.2307/411065 · Cited by 3,525
Context theory of classification learning
Medin, D. L., & Schaffer, M. M. (1978) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/0033-295x.85.3.207 · Cited by 3,061
Controlled and automatic human information processing: I
Schneider, W. E., & Shiffrin, R. M. (1977) · Cited by 2,228
Anderson, J. R. (2013) · Psychology Press eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780203780954 · Cited by 2,180
Self-citationExpert and Novice Performance in Solving Physics Problems
Larkin, J., McDermott, J. P., Simon, D. P., & Simon, H. A. (1980) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.208.4450.1335 · Cited by 2,112
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Mechanisms of skill acquisition and the law of practice
Newell, A., & Rosenbloom, P. S. (2018) · Figshare · doi:10.1184/r1/6607196 · Cited by 1,501
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 1,001–1,009 of 1,009
Can short-term memory be trained?
Norris, D. G., Hall, J., & Gathercole, S. E. (2019) · Memory & Cognition · doi:10.3758/s13421-019-00901-z · Cited by 31
An External Skill Focus is Necessary to Enhance Performance
Russell, R., Porter, J., & Campbell, O. (2014) · Journal of Motor Learning and Development · doi:10.1123/jmld.2014-0038 · Cited by 25
Hatano, G., Amaiwa, S., & Shimizu, K. (1987) · Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1037/0012-1649.23.6.832 · Cited by 40
Kennedy, K. M., Rodrigue, K. M., & Raz, N. (2007) · Gerontology · doi:10.1159/000098029 · Cited by 12
Testing the three-stage model of second language skill acquisition
Maie, R., & Godfroid, A. (2025) · Studies in Second Language Acquisition · doi:10.1017/s027226312500021x · Cited by 11
“In our study, we focused on declarative and procedural learning as cognitive abilities underlying the acquisition of cognitive skills (Anderson, 1982, 1983).”
InfluentialThe effects of experience and disuse on crossword solving.
Moxley, J. H., Ericsson, K. A., Scheiner, A., & Tuffiash, M. (2015) · Applied Cognitive Psychology · doi:10.1002/acp.3075 · Cited by 9
Computing Education Research Today
Fincher, S. A., Tenenberg, J., Dorn, B., Hundhausen, C., McCartney, R., & Murphy, L. (2019) · The Cambridge Handbook of Computing Education Research · doi:10.1017/9781108654555.003 · Cited by 7
Metadata
- Authors
- Anderson, J. R.
- Affiliations
- Carnegie Mellon University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Anderson, John R.
- ORCID
- Anderson, John R.
- Venue
- Psychological Review
- Published
- 1982-07
- Volume
- 89
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 369-406
- ISSN
- 0033-295X (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1471
- OpenAlex
- W2044754442
- Cited by
- 3,663
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 114 · 2025: 93 · 2024: 56 · 2023: 67 · 2022: 83 · 2021: 93 · 2020: 109 · 2019: 147 · 2018: 115 · 2017: 101 · 2016: 123 · 2015: 103 · 2014: 131 · 2013: 140 · 2012: 146
- FWCI
- 47.52
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychological Review (publishedVersion)
- Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › AI-based Problem Solving and Planning
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Visual and Cognitive Learning Processes
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
- Keywords
- cognitive skill acquisition, procedural stages, production systems, knowledge compilation, composition, proceduralization, discrimination, power law of practice, automation, category formation, language acquisition
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