- Reaction score
- 6,929
- Location
- The Wild Wild West
I know. I know. It's a long read ... but read it anyway:
The Dunning-Kruger Effect is a cognitive bias named for two authors of a journal article describing how people overestimate their competence or cognitive abilities and don't realize these errors. The issue isn't just that people make poor choices from erroneous conclusions —it's also that they are unable to recognize those errors. As Charles Darwin wrote in his book The Descent of Man, "Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge."
Components of the Dunning-Kruger Effect
Lack of Knowledge
In the Dunning-Kruger effect, the less someone knows about a topic, the more they are likely to have strong opinions about that topic. This means that if you are arguing a point with someone that has beliefs that are not rooted in facts, that person will stick to their opinion even when presented with evidence to the contrary. That person will also disregard expert opinions. The person may tell you that the expert opinion is "fake," the expert was "paid off" to give that opinion, or he or she may just talk over you so that you can't get your facts heard. Since you can't prove that something didn't happen, you walk away frustrated, while the other person is more entrenched in his or her beliefs.
Misinformation Endorsement
Dunning-Kruger means that people will endorse erroneous information if it fits their opinion. Misinformation endorsement means that someone doesn't do their work in researching sources to see if they are legitimate. It also means that independent research is not done, so beliefs are not challenged by other information.
Reinforcement by Social Groups
If you are surrounded by others that have the same views as you, you are more likely to stick to those views. A community's opinions can become social norms. At the root of much of human behavior is a desire to belong. Going against the predominant view of one's group risks ostracization.
They Think They Know More Than Experts
In a study by Motta, Callaghan, and Sylvester (2018), it was found that one-third of study subjects thought they knew as much or more than doctors and scientists about the causes of autism. This rate was highest in people that had low levels of knowledge about autism and high levels of misinformation endorsement. In addition, researchers found that low knowledge and high misinformation was correlated with opposition to mandatory vaccine policies. In addition, they were more likely to support non-experts than experts on matters of policy.
Caveats of the Dunning-Kruger Effect
Arguing with people experiencing the Dunning-Kruger Effect rarely is effective. And you are not immune to the Dunning-Kruger Effect, even if you think you're pretty well-read and unbiased.
Challenging Them Just Reinforces Their Beliefs
When you provide proof that a person's belief is incorrect, a person experiencing the Dunning-Kruger effect will become more entrenched in their beliefs—and even more so if the opposing person's argument is emotionally charged (Nyhan, Reifler, Richey, & Freed, 2014).
Anyone Is Susceptible
Think you're immune to the Dunning-Kruger Effect? Nope. Being prone to the Dunning-Kruger effect has little to do with intelligence quotient or morals. Anyone is prone to this cognitive bias. And just because you are in a certain profession does not mean that you follow the counsel of a fellow professional. Physicians were only slightly more likely to follow a medication regimen than non-physicians (Frakes, Gruber, & Jena, 2019).
How to Recognize It
Our brains are hardwired to look for patterns and take shortcuts, which help us to quickly process information and make decisions. Often, these same patterns and shortcuts lead to biases.
Most people have no trouble recognizing these biases — including the Dunning-Kruger effect — in their friends, family members, and co-workers.
But the truth is that the Dunning-Kruger effect affects everyone, including you. No one can claim expertise in every domain. You might be an expert in a number of areas and still have significant knowledge gaps in other areas.
Moreover, the Dunning-Kruger effect isn’t a sign of low intelligence. Smart people also experience this phenomenon.
The first step to recognizing this effect is something you’re already doing. Learning more about the Dunning-Kruger effect can help you pinpoint when it might be at work in your own life.
How to Conquer It
Information from professionals doesn't seem to make a dent in entrenched beliefs. Neither does presenting empirical evidence in a rational way. And presenting evidence in a way that sends a message that you can't believe someone doesn't believe facts definitely doesn't help.
So what does work when someone is unable to admit that they lack information or are incorrect? Find out why someone believes something. Meet a person where they are at. It's not so much about the data as to how it is being presented.
A great example of this can be found in Buster Benson's book Why Are We Yelling?: The Art of Productive Disagreement. Mr. Benson gathered a group of people that had various opinions on gun control. By the end of the evening, everyone had expressed their opinions, and they all left on friendly terms. How did Benson do it?
First, he provided food to the group. Never underestimate the power of food to bring a group together. He then asked each person in the group to share their personal history with guns, and how it formed their current opinion. Note how powerful it is to ask each person to share their personal experience. This can be a powerful springboard to having meaningful discussions. Again, meet people where they are at.
The Dunning-Kruger Effect is a cognitive bias named for two authors of a journal article describing how people overestimate their competence or cognitive abilities and don't realize these errors. The issue isn't just that people make poor choices from erroneous conclusions —it's also that they are unable to recognize those errors. As Charles Darwin wrote in his book The Descent of Man, "Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge."
Components of the Dunning-Kruger Effect
Lack of Knowledge
In the Dunning-Kruger effect, the less someone knows about a topic, the more they are likely to have strong opinions about that topic. This means that if you are arguing a point with someone that has beliefs that are not rooted in facts, that person will stick to their opinion even when presented with evidence to the contrary. That person will also disregard expert opinions. The person may tell you that the expert opinion is "fake," the expert was "paid off" to give that opinion, or he or she may just talk over you so that you can't get your facts heard. Since you can't prove that something didn't happen, you walk away frustrated, while the other person is more entrenched in his or her beliefs.
Misinformation Endorsement
Dunning-Kruger means that people will endorse erroneous information if it fits their opinion. Misinformation endorsement means that someone doesn't do their work in researching sources to see if they are legitimate. It also means that independent research is not done, so beliefs are not challenged by other information.
Reinforcement by Social Groups
If you are surrounded by others that have the same views as you, you are more likely to stick to those views. A community's opinions can become social norms. At the root of much of human behavior is a desire to belong. Going against the predominant view of one's group risks ostracization.
They Think They Know More Than Experts
In a study by Motta, Callaghan, and Sylvester (2018), it was found that one-third of study subjects thought they knew as much or more than doctors and scientists about the causes of autism. This rate was highest in people that had low levels of knowledge about autism and high levels of misinformation endorsement. In addition, researchers found that low knowledge and high misinformation was correlated with opposition to mandatory vaccine policies. In addition, they were more likely to support non-experts than experts on matters of policy.
Caveats of the Dunning-Kruger Effect
Arguing with people experiencing the Dunning-Kruger Effect rarely is effective. And you are not immune to the Dunning-Kruger Effect, even if you think you're pretty well-read and unbiased.
Challenging Them Just Reinforces Their Beliefs
When you provide proof that a person's belief is incorrect, a person experiencing the Dunning-Kruger effect will become more entrenched in their beliefs—and even more so if the opposing person's argument is emotionally charged (Nyhan, Reifler, Richey, & Freed, 2014).
Anyone Is Susceptible
Think you're immune to the Dunning-Kruger Effect? Nope. Being prone to the Dunning-Kruger effect has little to do with intelligence quotient or morals. Anyone is prone to this cognitive bias. And just because you are in a certain profession does not mean that you follow the counsel of a fellow professional. Physicians were only slightly more likely to follow a medication regimen than non-physicians (Frakes, Gruber, & Jena, 2019).
How to Recognize It
Our brains are hardwired to look for patterns and take shortcuts, which help us to quickly process information and make decisions. Often, these same patterns and shortcuts lead to biases.
Most people have no trouble recognizing these biases — including the Dunning-Kruger effect — in their friends, family members, and co-workers.
But the truth is that the Dunning-Kruger effect affects everyone, including you. No one can claim expertise in every domain. You might be an expert in a number of areas and still have significant knowledge gaps in other areas.
Moreover, the Dunning-Kruger effect isn’t a sign of low intelligence. Smart people also experience this phenomenon.
The first step to recognizing this effect is something you’re already doing. Learning more about the Dunning-Kruger effect can help you pinpoint when it might be at work in your own life.
How to Conquer It
Information from professionals doesn't seem to make a dent in entrenched beliefs. Neither does presenting empirical evidence in a rational way. And presenting evidence in a way that sends a message that you can't believe someone doesn't believe facts definitely doesn't help.
So what does work when someone is unable to admit that they lack information or are incorrect? Find out why someone believes something. Meet a person where they are at. It's not so much about the data as to how it is being presented.
A great example of this can be found in Buster Benson's book Why Are We Yelling?: The Art of Productive Disagreement. Mr. Benson gathered a group of people that had various opinions on gun control. By the end of the evening, everyone had expressed their opinions, and they all left on friendly terms. How did Benson do it?
First, he provided food to the group. Never underestimate the power of food to bring a group together. He then asked each person in the group to share their personal history with guns, and how it formed their current opinion. Note how powerful it is to ask each person to share their personal experience. This can be a powerful springboard to having meaningful discussions. Again, meet people where they are at.
