The unconscious mind

[Tycho]

Simpo Two said:

When someone commented to a famous golfer how lucky he was, he replied 'The more I practice the luckier I get'.

Can't remember which golfer though.

Pretty sure it was Jack Nicklaus.

[jbudgie]

Tycho said:

Simpo Two said:

When someone commented to a famous golfer how lucky he was, he replied 'The more I practice the luckier I get'.

Can't remember which golfer though.

Pretty sure it was Jack Nicklaus.

Gary Player.

[Derek Smith]

I used to take my lad to rugby practice.

You could see a move that they practised replicated on the field but the trick was that the lads were not thinking about where to be, how to handle the ball, how fast to run, they were concentrating on the opposition, the main variable.

I could also see 'triggers'. The opposition would, for instance, leave a player on the inside while a back ran along the line, trying to draw a defender. A player would cover immediately, without thinking (not a rugby player's strong point it has to be said). So there was much that was all but automatic due to continualt practice. Anyone can get to that stage. The clever player, the gifted one, plans one or more steps ahead.

I've seen a fair bit of rugby but am often surprised when a player peels off for no apparent reason or, as often happens, one player will instruct another to move to a certain place. Look at the video later and I will often see the reason: their winger dropping back ready for a run, that sort of thing. These players are the ones who have that extra bit.

Practice might not make perfect but what it does do is allow a player to concentrate on the important bits of the game.

[Halb]

Just watched Star Trek:TMP, which led me to it's wiki page, which led me to the page of the third eye.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_eye

[wendyg]

Derek Smith said:

wendyg said:

You have pretty much summarised the 'Conscious Competence' Model of learning!!
Learners start as 'Unconscious incompetent' - they have no idea how ignorant they are, and assess their own competance very poorly.
They progress to 'conscious incompetent' - they realise how much they don't know.
As they continue, they become 'conscious competent' - they can perform a skill but are still aware of their processes.
The final stage is 'unconscious competence' where the skills are so embedded that processes are automatic.

There is a final stage which is often developed by those who have to train others, where someone unconscious competent learns to deconstruct the task into its components so that they can teach it.

Who are you calling incompetent?

Well, me I suppose.

I've driven on autopilot. I was coming out from the office one afternoon with a staff member who'd just joined. I made my way to the car park then realised that not only could I not remember where I'd parked my car, but which one I'd come in. I had both sets of keys so that didn't help. I had to wander in and look around me without appear desperate.

I could not remember anything of the morning before sitting down in front of the screen and logging on. Really quite frightening, especially for the others on the road at the time.

I stopped a car once and smelt alcohol. I bagged the bloke but he failed to inflate the bag so I nicked him. He refused all procedures. The defence was that the police were racialist from start - me - to finish - the station sergeant who didn't do the procedure corrently. The chap was Jewish.

I was asked why I'd stopped the car and I had to say that I didn't know why. I said that as soon as I had seen it I thought it worth a stop. Lots of argument and then it was put to me that I stopped him because he was Jewish. I pointed out that I couldn't really see the driver and even if I could I'm not sure I would have said the bloke was Jewish.

He was found guil5y and banned but it got me thinking as to why and in the end I decided to trust my first instincts in such matters and it worked a nubmer of times. The percentage was around 25% for positives and that's pretty good as any PC will tell you.

When I'd got a bit of time in PCs used to ask 'How did you know?' and I'd say, 'When you've got some experience you won't have to ask.' So despite saying that just to pose and irritate them, it appears it was spot on.

I've been wrong though. We nicked a group of four offenders who were very experienced in their chosen profession, just not particularly good at it. I did a lot of research before interviewing them - you could in those days - phoning up previous arresting officers, that sort of thing. All said he'd give me the run around. I had an MO, with branches: if answer to Q1 was A then go to B, that sort of thing. He had a stroppy brief whom I'd crossed swords with before so I booked the room for an hour with a caveat that I might want more. I was up for it.

After ten minutes I'd got a full and frank confession. I had difficulty taking it in. When I came out the brief asked me why I was so irritated after getting a confession and I said how much work I'd put in. He said it was obvious by my manner. I wondered if that was the reason the bloke just coughed.

People, including me and probably you, Wendy, are peculiar.

Just come back to this thread, Derek, hope you didn't misunderstand me. From what you described I would have put you in the 'unconscious competant' group! (That's a compliment) :-)