Low-ability people do not possess the skills needed to recognize their own incompetence.
The combination of poorself-awarenessand low cognitive ability leads them to overestimate their capabilities.
Also, explore some of the ways you could avoid overestimating how much you really know about a subject.
Verywell / Bailey Mariner
Understanding the Dunning-Kruger Effect
You’ve probably experienced this phenomenon in real life.
The effect is named after researchers David Dunning and Justin Kruger, the twosocial psychologistswho first described it.
In their original study, they performed four investigations into this psychological phenomenon.
This is perhaps why students who earn failing scores on exams sometimes feel they deserve a much higher score.
They overestimate their knowledge and ability and cannot accurately assess their performance.
People who aren’t good at something have a hard time recognizing other people’s skill and competence levels.
That’s why they consistently view themselves as better, more capable, and more knowledgeable than others.
Along with genuine subject-relevant concepts, they interjected completely made-up terms.
Why the Dunning-Kruger Effect Happens
So what explains this psychological effect?
Are some people simply too dense to recognize their shortcomings?
Dunning and Kruger suggest that this phenomenon stems from what they refer to as a “dual burden.”
First, these deficits cause people to perform poorly in the domain in which they are incompetent.
Secondly, their erroneous and deficient knowledge makes them unable to recognize their mistakes.
A Lack of Metacognition
The Dunning-Kruger effect is also related to difficulties with metacognition.
People can often only evaluate themselves from their own limited and highly subjective point of view.
From this limited perspective, they seem highly skilled, knowledgeable, andsuperiorto others.
Because of this, people sometimes struggle to have a more realistic view of their abilities.
As the old saying goes, a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing.
Are You Less Competent Than You Think?
So, who is affected by the Dunning-Kruger effect?
According to the researchers, everyone is prone to this effect.
This is because no matter how informed or experienced we are, we all have our areas of ignorance.
You might be smart and skilled in many areas, but no one is an expert at everything.
Everyone is susceptible to this phenomenon, and most of us probably experience it with surprising regularity.
A brilliant scientist, for example, might be a very poor writer.
Because those are lacking, the scientist in this example cannot recognize their poor performance.
One Important Note
The Dunning-Kruger effect is not synonymous withlow IQ.
Is the Dunning-Kruger Effect Real?
Not everyone agrees that the Dunning-Kruger effect actually exists, however.
Instead, some critics have suggested that the effect is actually a data artifact.
In mathematical studies, researchers were able to replicate the effect using computer-generated random data.
Such studies found that experts and amateurs overestimate or underestimate their abilities at about the same rate.
A 2022 study also suggested a statistical explanation for the effect that does not rely on a psychological explanation.
According to the researchers, the effect exists, but it is not the result of human nature.
However, these experts actually tended to underestimate their own abilities relative to how others did.
This can sometimes lead to the opposite of the Dunning-Kruger effectimposter syndrome.
How to Overcome the Dunning-Kruger Effect
Is there anything that can minimize this phenomenon?
Is there a point at which the incompetent actually recognize their own ineptitude?
According to Dunning, we are all what he calls “engines of misbelief.”
This can combat the tendency to assume youre an expert, even if you’re not.
Ask Other People How You’re Doing
Another effective strategy involves asking others forconstructive criticism.
This is an example of another punch in of psychological bias known as theconfirmation bias.
To minimize this tendency, keep challenging your beliefs and expectations.
Seek out information that challenges your ideas.
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