Lately I’ve been reading on cognitive bias due to further research into “intuition”. I came across a recent study called “The Dunning Kruger Effect”
The Dunning Kruger Effect is described as overconfidence in unskilled people of their abilities to perform above and beyond what they can do. This allows incompetent people rate their skills much higher than their competent counterparts.
What is interesting about The Dunning Kruger Effect, the people with the competent skill set rate their skills lower than average.
The Dunning Kruger Effect in essence is:
- Incompetent individuals who overestimate their level of skill
- Incompetent individuals who fail to recognise skills in others
- Incompetent individuals who fail to recognise their own inadequacy
It has been proven if these individuals are trained they do adjust their skills sets accordingly. Where they once thought they were 10 / 10 , they would now think they are a 6 /10 with training.
In the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt- Bertand Russell
After reading about The Dunning Kruger Effect I could see points in my own life where it had effect me. Before tertiary education I was over confident in my abilites, now even at work I second guess everything.
I think everyone, in any work place or tertiary institute has come across The Dunning Kruger Effect.
A link to the science show article on The Dunning Kruger Effect:
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/scienceshow/stories/2010/2893602.htm
And a blog which explains the Dunning Kruger Effect:
http://youarenotsosmart.com/2010/05/11/the-dunning-kruger-effect/