The Dunning-Kruger effect : have we been too "mean" to the "incompetent"?

Glenn Newbery, Patsy Tremayne

Research output: Chapter in Book / Conference PaperConference Paperpeer-review

Abstract

![CDATA[The Dunning-Kruger effect is commonly understood, both in the research industry and in popular culture, as the tendency of the “incompetent” to be unaware of their lack of skill and, as a consequence, to grossly overestimate their ability and performance. In this study, we extend the standard approach to investigating the Dunning-Kruger effect by adding an idiographic analysis in an attempt to establish whether all “incompetent” individuals overestimate themselves because they are unaware of their lack of skill. Ninety-three psychology students from Western Sydney University completed a survey that required them to provide three estimates pertaining to an upcoming multiple-choice test: their percentile ability, their percentile performance, and their raw score. Using the standard approach to analyzing the data, participants were split into quartiles based on their actual test score. For each quartile, the mean estimated ability percentile and the mean estimated performance percentile were compared to the mean actual test score percentile. Also, mean estimated test score and mean actual test score were compared across quartiles. Consistent with the typical Dunning-Kruger effect, the authors found that the magnitude of overestimation was greatest in the bottom quartile, while top quartile participants underestimated themselves. However, the idiographic (i.e., within bottom quartile) analysis revealed that a high proportion of bottom quartile participants did not estimate themselves to be above average and that some of the most unskilled bottom quartile participants were less miscalibrated than many of those more skilled. On the basis of these findings, we conclude that the “incompetent” overestimate themselves not because they are unaware of their relative lack of skill, but because they are susceptible to factors that render all people – irrespective of performance level – poor at estimating their relative ability and performance.]]
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 17th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities, 10-12 January 2019, Honolulu, USA
PublisherHawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities
Number of pages10
Publication statusPublished - 2019
EventHawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities -
Duration: 10 Jan 2019 → …

Publication series

Name
ISSN (Print)1541-5899

Conference

ConferenceHawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities
Period10/01/19 → …

Keywords

  • self-perception
  • academic achievement
  • social psychology

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