Author Topic: The Dunning Kruger Effect (Read 101 times)

Michael Caswell · « **on:** January 26, 2022, 07:34:41 pm »

Yes! Its happening in Fairport, and it applies to those who oppose the NYPA.

Doug K · « **Reply #1 on:** January 27, 2022, 06:55:10 am »

Mike, totally amazing, I believe you have hit the proverbial "nail on the head" after all this time.

And you may also have educated as well as informed our ECNA readers...once again.

But I like the defintion from Encylopedia Brittanica a bit more, myself

Dunning-Kruger effect, in psychology, a cognitive bias whereby people with limited knowledge or competence in a given intellectual or social domain greatly overestimate their own knowledge or competence in that domain relative to objective criteria or to the performance of their peers or of people in general.

Because they are unaware of their deficiencies, such people generally assume that they are not deficient, in keeping with the tendency of most people to “choose what they think is the most reasonable and optimal option.”

Although not scientifically explored until the late 20th century, the phenomenon is familiar from ordinary life, and it has long been attested in common sayings—e.g., “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”—and in observations by writers and wits through the ages—e.g., “Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge” (Charles Darwin).

https://www.britannica.com/science/Dunning-Kruger-effect

They also go on to discuss this additional issue that seems to follow Dunning Kruger - Confirmation Bias

Confirmation Bias, the tendency to process information by looking for, or interpreting, information that is consistent with one’s existing beliefs. This biased approach to decision making is largely unintentional and often results in ignoring inconsistent information.

Existing beliefs can include one’s expectations in a given situation and predictions about a particular outcome. People are especially likely to process information to support their own beliefs when the issue is highly important or self-relevant.

Confirmation bias is one example of how humans sometimes process information in an illogical, biased manner. Many factors of which people are unaware can influence information processing. Philosophers note that humans have difficulty processing information in a rational, unbiased manner once they have developed an opinion about the issue.

https://www.britannica.com/science/confirmation-bias

Doug K · « **Reply #2 on:** January 27, 2022, 07:33:25 am »

Simply fascinating how this Dunning Kruger affect works, and here's maybe the best web article out there to understand what to look for

https://www.verywellmind.com/an-overview-of-the-dunning-kruger-effect-4160740

The Dunning-Kruger effect is a type of cognitive bias in which people believe that they are smarter and more capable than they really are. Essentially, low ability people do not possess the skills needed to recognize their own incompetence.

This phenomenon is something you have likely experienced in real life, perhaps around the dinner table at a holiday family gathering. Throughout the course of the meal, a member of your extended family begins spouting off on a topic at length, boldly proclaiming that he is correct and that everyone else's opinion is stupid, uninformed, and just plain wrong. It may be plainly evident to everyone in the room that this person has no idea what they are talking about, yet they prattle on, blithely oblivious to their own ignorance.

Incompetent people, the researchers found, are not only poor performers, they are also unable to accurately assess and recognize the quality of their own work.

Low performers are 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.

A Little Knowledge Can Lead to Overconfidence:

Another contributing factor is that sometimes a tiny bit of knowledge on a subject can lead people to mistakenly believe that they know all there is to know about it. As the old saying goes, a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing. A person might have the slimmest bit of awareness about a subject, yet thanks to the Dunning-Kruger effect, believe that he or she is an expert.

And it all stems from this: A Lack of Metacognition

The Dunning-Kruger effect is also related to difficulties with metacognition, or the ability to step back and look at one's own behavior and abilities from outside of oneself. People are often only able to evaluate themselves from their own limited and highly subjective point of view. From this limited perspective, they seem highly skilled, knowledgeable, and superior to others.

Because of this, people sometimes struggle to have a more realistic view of their own abilities.

I thought Meta Cognition was the "inability of Facebook Users to see how foolish they look while posting"?

Meta = Facebook

News:

Author Topic: The Dunning Kruger Effect (Read 101 times)

Michael Caswell

The Dunning Kruger Effect

Doug K

Re: The Dunning Kruger Effect and Confirmation Bias

Doug K

Re: The Dunning Kruger Effect & A Very Well Mind