What is a potential negative outcome of overlearning knowledge?

Overlearning refers to the process of continuing to practice or study material even after mastery has been achieved. While this can lead to highly proficient skills or knowledge, a potential negative outcome is that it may result in automatic responses that are undesirable. This phenomenon occurs because overlearning can cause individuals to perform tasks without necessary critical thinking or assessment of the situation, relying instead on rote memorization or habitual actions.

For instance, in aviation, a pilot who has overlearned specific emergency procedures might respond automatically inappropriately during a unique situation, rather than assessing the specifics and adapting their response accordingly. This automaticity can lead to errors or a failure to engage in higher-level thinking when unique or complex challenges arise.

The other options suggest benefits of overlearning, such as speed in memorization, guaranteed performance improvement, or enhanced critical thinking, which overlook the potential drawbacks of rigid automatic responses in scenarios that require adaptability or nuanced thinking.