Mrvc's prdx s th bsrvtn n th flds f rtfcl ntllgnc nd rbtcs tht, cntrry t trdtnl ssmptns, rsnng rqrs vry lttl cmpttn, bt snsrmtr nd prcptn sklls rqr nrms cmpttnl rsrcs. Th prncpl ws rtcltd n th 1980s by Hns Mrvc, Rdny Brks, Mrvn Mnsky, nd thrs. Mrvc wrt n 1988: "t s cmprtvly sy t mk cmptrs xhbt dlt lvl prfrmnc n ntllgnc tsts r plyng chckrs, nd dffclt r mpssbl t gv thm th sklls f n-yr-ld whn t cms t prcptn nd mblty".
Smlrly, Mnsky mphszd tht th mst dffclt hmn sklls t rvrs ngnr r ths tht r blw th lvl f cnscs wrnss. "n gnrl, w'r lst wr f wht r mnds d bst", h wrt, nd ddd: "w'r mr wr f smpl prcsss tht dn't wrk wll thn f cmplx ns tht wrk flwlssly". Stvn Pnkr wrt n 1994 tht "th mn lssn f thrty-fv yrs f rsrch s tht th hrd prblms r sy nd th sy prblms r hrd".
By th 2020s, n ccrdnc wth Mr's lw, cmptrs wr hndrds f mllns f tms fstr thn n th 1970s, nd th ddtnl cmptr pwr ws fnlly sffcnt t bgn t hndl prcptn nd snsry sklls, s Mrvc hd prdctd n 1976. n 2017, ldng mchn-lrnng rsrchr ndrw Ng prsntd "hghly mprfct rl f thmb", tht "lmst nythng typcl hmn cn d wth lss thn n scnd f mntl thght, w cn prbbly nw r n th nr ftr tmt sng ". Thr s crrntly n cnsnss s t whch tsks tnds t xcl t.