Named after psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger, the Dunning-Kruger effect is a type of cognitive bias that causes people to overestimate their knowledge or ability. In psychology, cognitive bias refers to unfounded beliefs we may have, often without realizing it.
Disclaimer: I am not a psychologist nor I claim to be an expert in the subject matter. I'm just enthused to learn new things about how our brains work, and share that knowledge with other people.
In essence, the Dunning-Kruger effect is a bias whereby people with lower ability, expertise, or experience regarding a certain type of task or area of knowledge tend to overestimate their ability or knowledge. They see themselves as fully equipped to give opinions or carry out tasks in that field, even though objective measures or people around them may disagree. This often stems from the fact that they are unaware that they do not have the necessary capabilities (or knowledge).
Anyone can be susceptible to the Dunning-Kruger effect. It does not reflect low intelligence, but rather a lack of insight and reflection. A person who is very knowledgeable in a field but lacks insight into their own performance can easily overestimate or underestimate their own ability.
With that said, some researchers also include in their definition the opposite effect for high performers: their tendency to underestimate their skills. It seems that as a person becomes more knowledgeable in a field, they recognize their previous ignorance. This leads to the realization that there are plenty of skills (or knowledge) still to be obtained, making said person question their expertise.
The only way to rid ourselves of the Dunning-Kruger effect is to gain insight and reflect on our knowledge and performance. In my opinion, there is always place to grow, therefore we are never true experts, but at some point in our journey we must know enough to get the job done correctly and efficiently. We just have to look for that silver lining.
This post serves as a reminder to reflect on our journey every now and again and see how far we've come, without judgement.
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