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Thursday, July 14, 2022

Dunning-Kruger effect (found and not found on Wikipedia) DK effect, Dunning-Kruger Syndrome

 This one isn't strictly not found, but it's so interesting I am blogging about it. Note that in 2005 it was called the "Dunning-Kruger Syndrome".  

July 2005‎ 

 Dunning-Kruger Syndrome is the phenomenon whereby people who have little knowledge systematically think that they know more than others who have much more knowledge. In a phrase, clueless people think they are smart.

Though many people have noticed this, it was rigorously demonstrated in a series of experiments performed by Justin Kruger and David Dunning, then both of Cornell University. Their results were published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in December, 1999.

July 2022‎ 

The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias[2] whereby people with low ability, expertise, or experience regarding a certain type of a task or area of knowledge tend to overestimate their ability or knowledge. Some researchers also include in their definition the opposite effect for high performers: their tendency to underestimate their skills.

One could say the people writing the article (either in 2005 or the present) are suffering from the DK effect, but that would also be wrong.

One can also read the study and realize the authors, in a huge ironic twist, suffered from the Dunning-Kruger effect.  Which would also not be true.

They were just bad researchers.  Of course the internet latched onto this as a one line response to anything or anyone, to replace thinking or reasoning, or even a good argument.

(exampled abound online, but I am not going to include any)

Which is hugely ironic.  And annoying.



 

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