From knowing to applying
Knowing a principle and using it in a new situation are different skills. Transfer improves when you learn the underlying principle, not just the surface story it came in.
Key ideas
- Surface features mislead; deep structure decides which principle applies.
- Two contrasting examples teach a principle better than one.
- Stating the principle in your own words makes it portable.
Step by step
- 1
After learning an idea, write the principle in one general sentence.
- 2
Find two situations with different surfaces where it applies.
- 3
Find one situation that looks similar but where it does not apply.
- 4
Practise deciding quickly whether a new case fits the principle.
Example
A negotiator learns 'anchor with a precise first number' in a salary case, then recognises the same structure in a supplier contract despite the very different setting.
Your drill
Take one principle from your field. Write two cases where it applies and one look-alike where it does not, and explain the difference.
Common mistakes
- Memorising examples without extracting the principle.
- Applying a rule because a case looks familiar rather than because it fits.
Check yourself
Why do contrasting examples improve transfer?
Show the answer
They separate the deep principle from surface features, so you can recognise it in new settings.
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