Why Do Stupid People Think They're Smart? The Dunning Kruger Effect (animated)

do you ever wonder why some people think they're smarter than they are it's a phenomenon known as the dunning-kruger effect this video will explore what it is why it happens and how to avoid falling into its trap we also look at some real life examples of the dunning-kruger effect in action including one that might surprise you so sit back relax and prepare to learn something new as you watch till the end we've saved the information you'll want about why stupid people think they're brilliant what is the dunning-kruger effect the dunning-kruger effect is a cognitive bias affecting how people perceive their abilities it was first described in a 1999 study by psychologist David Dunning and Justin Krueger who found that people lacking knowledge or expertise in a particular area tend to overestimate their abilities in other words they don't know what they don't know this leads to a false sense of confidence which can be dangerous in situations where accuracy and expertise are required why does the dunning-kruger effect happen there are a few reasons why the dunning-kruger effect occurs first people who lack knowledge or expertise may not be aware of their own limitations they may assume that they know more than they do simply because they need to encounter more information to challenge their assumptions second people lacking knowledge or expertise may need more skills to evaluate their abilities accurately for example they may need help recognizing when they make mistakes or don't understand something finally people who lack knowledge or expertise may be more susceptible to confirmation bias which is the tendency to seek out information that supports their beliefs while ignoring information that contradicts them real life examples of the dunning-kruger effect the dunning-kruger effect is not just a theoretical concept it can be observed in real life situations one example is the case of MacArthur wheeler a man who robbed two banks in broad daylight without wearing a mask or any other disguise when police showed him the surveillance footage he was shocked that he had been caught this is a clear example of the dunning-kruger effect in action wheeler overestimated his knowledge of how cameras work and underestimated the police's ability to catch him he assumed he was unidentifiable because he had rubbed lemon juice on his face which he believed would make him invisible at cameras in reality lemon juice has no such effect and he was quickly apprehended another example of the dunning-kruger effect can be seen in the case of the infamous Flat Earth movement despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary many flat earthers believe that the Earth is a flat disc rather than a sphere this is because they need more knowledge or expertise to understand the scientific evidence that supports a spherical Earth instead they rely on faulty logic and misinformation to support their beliefs how to avoid the dunning-kruger effect now that we understand the dunning-kruger effect and why it happens how can we avoid falling in its trap the key is to cultivate a growth mindset that is a mindset that values learning growth and Improvement people with a growth mindset are more likely to seek new information challenge their assumptions and recognize their limitations they're also more likely to seek feedback from others and use it to improve their performance if you like our content kindly like share and subscribe to our channel for more exciting videos one way to improve our understanding of the dunning-kruger effect is to explore how it manifests in different contexts for example the study by Kruger and Dunning found that the effect can also be seen in Social settings particularly regarding conversations they found that people less knowledgeable about a topic are more likely to overestimate their expertise and engage in Long drawn-out conversations Inc contrast those who are more knowledgeable tend to be more reserved and concise in their communication another area where the dunning-kruger effect can have significant consequences is in the workplace in a study conducted by Rebecca Grossman and her colleagues in 2019 they found that employees who exhibited high levels of confidence but low levels of actual competence were more likely to engage in unethical behavior and decision making this can have severe consequences for both the individual and the company as unethical Behavior can lead to legal issues loss of reputation and financial harm dunning-kruger effect in the workplace to mitigate the effects of the dunning-kruger effect in the workplace employees must prioritize training and development programs that focus on building competence rather than just boosting confidence it's also essential to create a culture where employees feel comfortable admitting their mistakes and seeking help when needed rather than feeling pressure to appear more competent than they are therefore the dunning-kruger effect is a cognitive bias that can have significant consequences in various contexts from social interactions to the workplace by understanding the effect and its manifestations we can take steps to mitigate its adverse effects to create a more collaborative and effective Society imposter syndrome next we have the Imposter syndrome this phenomenon occurs when individuals doubt their skills and abilities and have a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as fraud despite evidence of their competence individuals with imposter syndrome believe they have deceived others into thinking they are more intelligent and more competent than they are the term imposter syndrome was first used in 1978 by psychologist Pauline klance and Suzanne Iams who identified it in high achieving women Research indicates that imposter syndrome is prevalent among all genders and can affect anyone regardless of their background profession or level of expertise however people from unrepresented groups such as women people of color and first generation college students are more likely to experience imposter syndrome due to societal stereotypes and expectations in a study of over 3 000 college students re researchers found that women racial and ethnic minorities and first generation students reported higher levels of imposter syndrome than their peers imposter syndrome can have various adverse effects on an individual such as limiting their career growth causing anxiety and stress and negatively affecting their mental health however there are ways to overcome imposter syndrome such as acknowledging and reframing negative thoughts discussing your feelings with others and seeking professional help confirmation bias lastly we have confirmation bias which refers to the tendency to search for interpret and remember information in a way that confirms our pre-existing beliefs or hypothesis confirmation bias can lead to narrow-minded thinking as individuals only seek out information confirming their beliefs and ignoring evidence contradicting them confirmation bias can manifest in various ways such as seeking out new sources that align with our political views or dismissing feedback from others that challenge our ideas Research indicates that confirmation bias is prevalent among all individuals regardless of their political affiliation education level or background confirmation bias can negatively affect individuals and society as a whole leading to polarization group think and false beliefs to overcome confirmation bias individuals seek out diverse perspectives actively consider evidence that contradicts their beliefs and engage in open-minded thinking does the dunning-kruger effect also affect organizations it's essential to note that the dunning-kruger effect does not only affect individuals on an individual level but can also affect organizations and even entire societies for example suppose an organization is run by leaders who believe they know everything and are unwilling to accept feedback in that case they can make poor decisions that may lead to disastrous outcomes similarly if a society believes it is superior to other others and refuses to listen to feedback it may lead to conflicts and tensions one example is the 2008 financial crisis caused by over-confident Bankers who believe they knew everything about finance and were unwilling to listen to feedback they took enormous risks resulting in the collapse of several financial institutions and a global economic recession furthermore the dunning-kruger effect can also lead to the spread of misinformation and fake news when individuals overestimate their knowledge and expertise in a particular subject they're more likely to share their opinions and beliefs even if they are inaccurate this can be seen in the spread of conspiracy theories and misinformation on social media platforms to combat the dunning-kruger effect individuals must be willing to accept feedback and acknowledge their limitations they should continually seek opportunities to learn and improve their Knowledge and Skills organizations should incur encourage a culture of openness and feedback where leaders and employees are willing to listen to and learn from others additionally it's essential to promote critical thinking and media literacy to help individuals distinguish between accurate information and misinformation as we wrap up the video we hope you enjoyed learning about the dunning-kruger effect and how it affects our overall thinking and Behavior leave us a comment and let us know if you've ever experienced the dunning-kruger effect in your own life or have any thoughts on the topic in your comment please choose between imposter syndrome or confirmation bias have you ever encountered someone who displayed the dunning-kruger effect and if so how'd you handle the situation do you think that dunning-kruger effect is real or do you believe it's just a way for people to justify their incompetence if you found this video helpful and informative hit that like button if you want to see more videos on psychology and self-improvement go ahead and subscribe to the channel and hit the notification Bell so you never miss an upload thanks for watching and we'll see you next time

Channel: Improving Everyday

Views: 66,887

Keywords: dunning kruger effect, dunning-kruger effect, cognitive bias, the dunning kruger effect, what is the dunning kruger effect, dunning kruger

Id: _J37hUSbih4

Length: 10min 40sec (640 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 05 2023