An Introduction to the Special Issue on the Impact of the Work of K. Anders Ericsson
Kevin R. Harris 1and David W. Eccles 2
In this introductory article for the special issue dedicated to the impact of the work of K. Anders Ericsson, we provide an overview of how the special issue was developed, introduce the specific areas from which there were contributions, and briefly expand upon the themes identified within the special issue. These themes include the following: (a) the undeniable importance/impact of Ericsson’s work, (b) the discussions regarding the operationalization of key terms, (c) calls to move beyond extreme nurturism or nativism, (d) considerations and implications of discussing “variance accounted for” when studying the most elite performance, and (e) the oversimplification of Ericsson’s proposals by the popular press.