Dunning-Kruger effect

Dunning-Kruger effect 

The Dunning-Kruger Effect is a cognitive bias where individuals with low ability, expertise, or knowledge in a specific area tend to overestimate their competence, while those with high ability may underestimate theirs. Named after psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger, who first described it in 1999, this phenomenon highlights how a lack of self-awareness can lead to inflated self-assessments.

Key Features

1. Low Competence, High Confidence: People with limited knowledge or skills in a domain often lack the metacognitive ability to recognize their deficiencies, leading them to believe they are more competent than they are.
2. Skilled Underestimation: Conversely, highly skilled individuals may assume others are equally competent, causing them to undervalue their own expertise.
3. Learning Curve: As people gain more knowledge or experience, they become aware of their limitations, leading to a dip in confidence before it rises again with true expertise.

Example

• A novice in a field like programming might confidently claim mastery after learning basic concepts, unaware of the vast complexity they haven’t yet encountered.
• An expert programmer, aware of the field’s depth, might feel less confident despite their advanced skills.

Historical Context

• Dunning and Kruger’s 1999 study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, was inspired by a 1995 incident involving a bank robber who believed lemon juice on his face would make him invisible to cameras, showcasing extreme overconfidence in a flawed idea.
• Their research demonstrated that incompetence often comes with an inability to self-assess accurately, while competence fosters humility.

Cultural Relevance

• The effect is widely discussed in psychology, education, and workplace settings to explain why unqualified individuals may overestimate their abilities or why experts might doubt themselves.
• It has been referenced in popular media and online discussions, often to critique overconfident behavior in politics, social media, or professional environments