[HN Gopher] What the Dunning-Kruger effect is and isn't
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       What the Dunning-Kruger effect is and isn't
        
       Author : sanj
       Score  : 73 points
       Date   : 2021-04-13 17:55 UTC (5 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.talyarkoni.org)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.talyarkoni.org)
        
       | bitshiftfaced wrote:
       | Doesn't seem to be any discussion of Nuhfer's findings, which
       | showed that you could recreate the effect with just random data.
       | The bias comes from the process of manipulating normalized data:
       | https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/numeracy/vol10/iss1/art4/
        
         | smallnamespace wrote:
         | That's not quite true, the article's section on _regression to
         | the mean_ [1] largely covers the same territory as Nuhfer's
         | article (although Nuhfer never uses that precise phrase).
         | 
         | Random noise is a primary reason that we see regression to the
         | mean in most contexts (the exception being actual deterministic
         | factors, such as seasonality, the restoring force of a spring,
         | etc.)
         | 
         | The chain of reasoning goes like:                   Random
         | noise (Nuhfer)         -> can cause regression to mean (covered
         | in the article)         -> calls into question the Dunning-
         | Kruger effect
         | 
         | [1]
         | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regression_toward_the_mean#Con...
        
         | antman wrote:
         | That implies that Dunning and Kruger percieved their work as
         | better than it was.
        
           | titzer wrote:
           | ...due directly to a lack of understanding of statistics. But
           | that just proves it. It's a Catch-22 !?
        
         | jvanderbot wrote:
         | This sounds like a confirmation.
         | 
         | "Our results further confirm that experts are more proficient
         | in self-assessing their abilities than novices and that women,
         | in general, self-assess more accurately than men. The validity
         | of interpretations of data depends strongly upon how carefully
         | the researchers consider the numeracy that underlies graphical
         | presentations and conclusions. Our results indicate that
         | carefully measured self-assessments provide valid, measurable
         | and valuable information about proficiency"
        
           | bitshiftfaced wrote:
           | Confirmation would be if they found that those who were less
           | competent tended to overestimate their abilities when
           | compared to those who were more competent. They found that
           | this was not true. Instead, they found that people tend to
           | overestimate their abilities with the same likelihood as when
           | underestimating.
        
         | luu wrote:
         | > Doesn't seem to be any discussion of Nuhfer's findings . . .
         | 
         | That's an interesting result, but I think it would be pretty
         | surprising if your link was discussed since your link is from
         | 2017 and the post is from 2010 and doesn't appear to have a
         | recent update.
        
           | bitshiftfaced wrote:
           | That explains it.
        
       | gnabgib wrote:
       | Posted so many times:
       | 
       | - 3 months ago 68 comments
       | [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25551624]
       | 
       | - Jan 2020 [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21984435]
       | 
       | - May 2018 [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17069386]
       | 
       | - Aug 2015, 25 comments
       | [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10145480]
       | 
       | - Jul 2010, 23 comments
       | [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1498136]
       | 
       | - Jul 2010 [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1494732]
       | 
       | - Often referenced in other high-repost DK posts like "Dunning-
       | Kruger and other memes" and "Wikipedia: Dunning-Kruger Effect"
        
       | maxerickson wrote:
       | The lesson I take from Dunning-Kruger is that self evaluation is
       | hard.
        
       | internetslave wrote:
       | What's the name for the effect of people always bringing up the
       | dunning kruger effect like it's the answer to everything? I can't
       | go a day without reading about it
       | 
       | Seems like this and bloom filters. Constantly on HN. Both mostly
       | useless
        
         | burnished wrote:
         | What if its that thing where when you learn about something it
         | seems like its suddenly everywhere, except it was always there,
         | you're just noticing it now?
        
           | ctcherry wrote:
           | The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon
        
           | Trufa wrote:
           | Baader-Meinhof phenomenon :)
        
             | alasdair_ wrote:
             | I keep seeing references to the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon
             | all over the place lately...
        
               | reducesuffering wrote:
               | I'm losing track of all the references to scientist named
               | phenomena: Baader-Meinhof, Dunning-Kruger, Gell-Mann
               | Amnesia, etc.
        
         | function_seven wrote:
         | I like to think of these things as "in the know" retorts.
         | Things that the writer appear to think are novel concepts, but
         | we've seen them so many times that they're not.
         | 
         | * Dunning-Kruger
         | 
         | * That xkcd 10,000 People comic[0] (Getting meta in my own
         | comment!)
         | 
         | * "HR is not your friend"
         | 
         | * "Corporations only goal is to increase share price"
         | 
         | * "You're the product"
         | 
         | I'm sure I could name another dozen or so if I had the
         | inclination.
         | 
         | [0] https://xkcd.com/1053/
        
       | fab1an wrote:
       | I've always suspected that obsessive interest in the Dunning-
       | Kruger effect is following an inverse curve of the effect itself
       | :) Graph:
       | https://twitter.com/fabianstelzer/status/1253647480966852610
        
       | sharker8 wrote:
       | Dunning-Kruger is Impostor Syndrome's evil twin. And it's
       | impossible to know which one you may suffer from!
        
         | throwawaytemp27 wrote:
         | That's not correct. Dunning-Kruger also accounts for competent
         | people underestimating their competence (like impostor
         | syndrome).
        
       | jumanjisama wrote:
       | Related: This is an interview with David Dunning of Dunning-
       | Kruger Effect. I find it highly entertaining and would recommend
       | listening just for a few minutes in case it tickles your interest
       | too. I've listed a couple of sources of the same podcast, just in
       | case.
       | 
       | https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/david-dunning-on-the-d...
       | 
       | https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLmJsb29tYmV...
        
       | taylorius wrote:
       | Does the Dunning-Kruger effect apply to people's knowledge of the
       | Dunning-Kruger effect?
        
         | bena wrote:
         | Maybe psychology in general.
         | 
         | But yeah, since it's a broadly applicable principle, it should
         | apply to itself. In that people who don't understand the
         | Dunning-Kruger principle believe they understand it better than
         | they do.
        
         | buescher wrote:
         | How would you know if you were competent to determine that?
        
         | indymike wrote:
         | The only safe answer: I don't feel I have the requisite
         | experience to discuss this topic at an expert level.
        
       | bluetwo wrote:
       | So there is a Dunning-Kruger effect on the Dunning-Kruger effect?
       | 
       | How meta.
        
       | omgwtfbyobbq wrote:
       | sanj, can you add the year to the title?
        
         | notretarded wrote:
         | No
        
       | nicolashahn wrote:
       | I don't need to read this, I already know all about the Dunning-
       | Kruger effect.
        
         | slt2021 wrote:
         | people downvote you, but your post is exactly on point!
        
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       (page generated 2021-04-13 23:00 UTC)