The errors of experts: When expertise hinders effective provision and seeking of advice and feedback

Ting Zhang; Kelly B Harrington; Elad N Sherf

doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.06.011

The errors of experts: When expertise hinders effective provision and seeking of advice and feedback

Curr Opin Psychol. 2022 Feb:43:91-95. doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.06.011. Epub 2021 Jun 24.

Authors

Ting Zhang¹, Kelly B Harrington², Elad N Sherf³

Affiliations

¹ Harvard Business School, Harvard University, USA. Electronic address: tzhang@hbs.edu.
² Harvard Business School, Harvard University, USA.
³ Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.

PMID: 34329943
DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2021.06.011

Abstract

To be effective, experts need to simultaneously develop others (i.e. provide advice and feedback to novices) and advance their own learning (i.e. seek and incorporate advice and feedback from others). However, expertise, and the state of efficacy associated with it, can inhibit experts from engaging in these activities or doing so effectively. We discuss when and why cognitive entrenchment and reduced perspective taking lead experts to hold misperceptions about others. We then explain how these misperceptions lead experts to provide less helpful advice and feedback to novices and to be less likely to seek and take input from others. We offer insights to overcome these barriers, enhancing experts' ability to provide and propensity to seek advice and feedback.

Keywords: Advice; Cognitive entrenchment; Expertise; Feedback; Perspective taking; Self-efficacy.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Feedback
Humans
Learning*