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The DunningāKruger effect has become a significant factor in the twenty-first century politics of the United States.
For those unfamiliar with the term, the DunningāKruger effect can be described in this way: āIf you were asked to rate how funny you are, you probably would not say you are a stand-up comedian, but still funnier than the average person. The problem? So would most people, and most of us probably just arenāt that funny.ā
A 1999 study by psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger involved metacognition and the lack thereof by less competent groups and individuals.
In 1871, Charles Darwin wrote of his own understanding of metacognition in The Descent of Man. He wrote, āIgnorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge.ā
Dunning and Kruger found this bias when they tested students in areas of humor, grammar, and logic. The two psychologists then compared each studentās estimated ability with their final test scores. Those comparisons showed the students who scored the lowest also greatly overestimated their abilities, while those who did best slightly underestimated their expected performance. This is illustrated in the following graph, and shows those who have little knowledge in a subject are aware of their limitation, but those with just the bare minimum or no actual knowledge of a subject vastly overestimate their abilities. Those who are more competent are more mindful of the gaps in their knowledge, up to the point of high competence where the geniuses realize their true skill level.
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In their paper, Dunning and Kruger explain there are two important factors in the individualās level of metacognition. Ego is the first, since very few people are willing to admit to themselves they are below average in anything. Second is that most people are poor at judging a skill level due to their below-average ability in that particular skill. A Catch 22 in the human thought process, which leads to a personās lack of knowledge making them unable to see their own errors.
āIncompetent people, the researchers found, are not only poor performers, they are also unable to accurately assess and recognize the quality of their own work. These low performers were also unable to recognize the skill and competence levels of other people, which is part of the reason why they consistently view themselves as better, more capable, and more knowledgeable than others.ā
As Dunning and Kruger put it, āoverestimation occurs, in part, because people who are unskilled in these domains suffer a dual burden: Not only do these people reach erroneous conclusions and make unfortunate choices, but their incompetence robs them of the metacognitive ability to realize it.ā
Dunning-Kruger Effect: Why Incompetent People Think They Are Superior
For those curious about their own level of metacognitive ability, the following link offers a test. But it is only accurate when the person being tested answers each question honestly.
For those who score poorly, it is expected they will deny the validity of the test, as many deny everything scientific. Have fun and prepare for the right wing lunacy that will be in response to this OP.
Are You Stupid? Take Our 60-Second Test!
.
The DunningāKruger effect has become a significant factor in the twenty-first century politics of the United States.
For those unfamiliar with the term, the DunningāKruger effect can be described in this way: āIf you were asked to rate how funny you are, you probably would not say you are a stand-up comedian, but still funnier than the average person. The problem? So would most people, and most of us probably just arenāt that funny.ā
A 1999 study by psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger involved metacognition and the lack thereof by less competent groups and individuals.
In 1871, Charles Darwin wrote of his own understanding of metacognition in The Descent of Man. He wrote, āIgnorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge.ā
Dunning and Kruger found this bias when they tested students in areas of humor, grammar, and logic. The two psychologists then compared each studentās estimated ability with their final test scores. Those comparisons showed the students who scored the lowest also greatly overestimated their abilities, while those who did best slightly underestimated their expected performance. This is illustrated in the following graph, and shows those who have little knowledge in a subject are aware of their limitation, but those with just the bare minimum or no actual knowledge of a subject vastly overestimate their abilities. Those who are more competent are more mindful of the gaps in their knowledge, up to the point of high competence where the geniuses realize their true skill level.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In their paper, Dunning and Kruger explain there are two important factors in the individualās level of metacognition. Ego is the first, since very few people are willing to admit to themselves they are below average in anything. Second is that most people are poor at judging a skill level due to their below-average ability in that particular skill. A Catch 22 in the human thought process, which leads to a personās lack of knowledge making them unable to see their own errors.
āIncompetent people, the researchers found, are not only poor performers, they are also unable to accurately assess and recognize the quality of their own work. These low performers were also unable to recognize the skill and competence levels of other people, which is part of the reason why they consistently view themselves as better, more capable, and more knowledgeable than others.ā
As Dunning and Kruger put it, āoverestimation occurs, in part, because people who are unskilled in these domains suffer a dual burden: Not only do these people reach erroneous conclusions and make unfortunate choices, but their incompetence robs them of the metacognitive ability to realize it.ā
Dunning-Kruger Effect: Why Incompetent People Think They Are Superior
For those curious about their own level of metacognitive ability, the following link offers a test. But it is only accurate when the person being tested answers each question honestly.
For those who score poorly, it is expected they will deny the validity of the test, as many deny everything scientific. Have fun and prepare for the right wing lunacy that will be in response to this OP.
Are You Stupid? Take Our 60-Second Test!
.