General Question

rockfan's avatar

Could I be experiencing the Dunning-Kruger effect?

Asked by rockfan (14627points) May 8th, 2018
8 responses
“Great Question” (1points)

Here’s the definition:

A cognitive bias wherein people of high ability may erroneously assume that tasks easy for them to perform are also easy for other people to perform, or that other people will have a similar understanding of subjects that they themselves are well-versed in.

https://imgur.com/gallery/eyu9rAQ

Here is a comissioned drawing I’m currently working on. I like to share my progress with my friends and family, and I’m genuinely surprised by some of their ecstatic reactions. I genuinely feel like any person can accomplish this kind of drawing if they took the time. Could this be the Dunning-Kruger effect?

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Answers

rockfan's avatar

Should have mentioned that this cognitive bias is actually the opposite of the Dunning-Kruger effect.

MrGrimm888's avatar

Could be. I lose patience sometimes with others, frequently because I don’t understand why they aren’t getting something.
I might just be an asshole though…

RedDeerGuy1's avatar

I assume that everyone knows about the paranormal including psychologists and psychiatrists. I get mildly ticked when I am told that psychic powers are not real when I ask a question about them. Awesome artwork is beyond anything I could do.

Mimishu1995's avatar

Yes and yes. I remember mentioning it to you once. Not everyone can draw the same way you do.

Based on your questions about drawing, I suggest you learn how to accept praise. Believe it or not, it’s actually a life skill. Apart from helping you with your self-esteem, it makes you more pleasant among people.

CWOTUS's avatar

Dunning-Kruger works both ways:

1. People of relatively high skill or ability, having an appreciation for how much about a topic they do not know tend to underestimate their capabilities, and
2. People of relatively low skill or ability, but having no idea how little they know about the topic because of their relative ignorance tend to overestimate their own capability.

This is why, for example, something like 80% of drivers will rate their driving capability as “above average”, even though (or perhaps it should be said because) they are relatively unfamiliar with the rules of the road, they don’t worry about “minor inconveniences” such as turn signals, checking rearview and sideview mirrors, have someone else check the mechanical functioning of the vehicle, avoid driving in certain places and conditions when it’s inconvenient, and don’t pay very close attention to other drivers (and their reactions to the ignorant one among them!) – so they have a very high opinion of themselves.

Meanwhile, someone who drives for a living, reads about driving, takes classes in driving and defensive driving and driving simulators, drives in all kinds of conditions and in all kinds of traffic and knows that he doesn’t know it all and can always improve… might only rate his driving as “average or a little above average”, when in fact he could be a far superior driver to most.

marinelife's avatar

Yes.

Zaku's avatar

Sure. Many people don’t think they can draw well, and don’t try, and/or what they tried gave them the impression they weren’t good at it.

I have some artistic ability and have spent many hours drawing, and the picture you linked, I don’t think I could do without a lot of practice and work. It’s a striking technique that most people who haven’t studied it don’t know how to do and looks like it takes significant skill and time. It’s not a technique I know how to do, though I expect I could learn it or make something up to do it if I were methodical enough. You have a skill that most non-artists don’t have, but you know what it took you and what’s involved, so you naturally have a different perspective on what it takes and who could do it. Also, as someone who has developed skills over time, you probably don’t remember what it’s like to not have those skills, or all the work you did to get to the place that this was a technique you could pick up relatively easily.

TyWebb's avatar

No, unless that is you have “low ability”

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