Let's ask David Dunning himself if he thinks the Dunning-Kruger effect can be mitigated and if yes, how.
In 2014, David Dunning wrote an article for the Pacific Standard magazine. Titled 'We are all confident idiots' (Page on psmag.com), in it he offers the Socratic method as a tool that could help us disabuse ourselves of our misbeliefs.
But this is easier said than done because the Socratic method is not for the faint-hearted.
I think your question shows a measure of self-awareness. As David Dunning emphasizes, saying, 'I don't know' is often especially hard, and this applies to any of us. If anything, the Dunning-Kruger Effect highlights lack of self-awareness. In that sense, it deals with pre-cognitive dissonance as in we don't deny our incompetence. We simply can't see it in the first place. And this blind spot applies even when we are highly skilled and competent in something because then we tend to assume that others are equally so. This blind spot of the skilled is the often-overlooked side of the Dunning-Kruger coin.
I find your approach reasonable, even laudable. Only quibble I have is with your stated wish for 'faster learning'. It implies mitigating the Dunning-Kruger Effect is somehow a short-cut for speed learning. That does disservice to the spirit and intent of learning. Learning takes however long it takes. My experience has taught me that impatience is an obstacle to learning and to self-awareness.
Oh, and if you missed it, David Dunning did a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) a while back. The entire thread is well worth the read. Science AMA Series:I’m David Dunning, a social psychologist whose research focuses on accuracy and illusion in self-judgment (you may have heard of the Dunning-Kruger effect). How good are we at “knowing thyself”? AMA! • /r/science
https://www.quora.com/In-the-spirit-of-mitigating-the-Dunning-Kruger-effect-what-are-effective-strategies-to-increase-ones-awareness-of-ones-ignorance-or-incompetence/answer/Tirumalai-Kamala
In 2014, David Dunning wrote an article for the Pacific Standard magazine. Titled 'We are all confident idiots' (Page on psmag.com), in it he offers the Socratic method as a tool that could help us disabuse ourselves of our misbeliefs.
- The first step in the right direction is to reveal to ourselves where we stand in our knowledge about a particular topic.
- With its inter-linked series of questions and strict adherence to logic the Socratic method, when used correctly and sincerely, is an ideally constructed agent for unveiling to ourself our own ignorance.
But this is easier said than done because the Socratic method is not for the faint-hearted.
- It requires our willingness to abandon our cushion of complacency and inhabit the zone of discomfort. That's not all.
- A group or at least two person activity may also often be necessary. After all, if we debate with ourselves, we are unlikely to unveil all of our blind spots. Self-preservation instincts will kick in when we try to challenge our most sacrosanct beliefs.
- It requires a willingness to expose weak chinks in our armor to others.
- It means we can't cling to our vanity and hide behind false pride during Socratic debates. If we do, then the debates become pointless.
- Another way to try to challenge our pre-cognitive fallacies in specific areas would be to take quizzes on those topics. These days there are online quizzes on just about every topic. Many can be taken anonymously. Results of such quizzes would be incontrovertible, objective data on the state of one's knowledge on that topic. How well do such data match our cherished beliefs about our knowledge or skill on that topic? A starting point on the road to hopefully better skills or knowledge on that topic.
I think your question shows a measure of self-awareness. As David Dunning emphasizes, saying, 'I don't know' is often especially hard, and this applies to any of us. If anything, the Dunning-Kruger Effect highlights lack of self-awareness. In that sense, it deals with pre-cognitive dissonance as in we don't deny our incompetence. We simply can't see it in the first place. And this blind spot applies even when we are highly skilled and competent in something because then we tend to assume that others are equally so. This blind spot of the skilled is the often-overlooked side of the Dunning-Kruger coin.
I find your approach reasonable, even laudable. Only quibble I have is with your stated wish for 'faster learning'. It implies mitigating the Dunning-Kruger Effect is somehow a short-cut for speed learning. That does disservice to the spirit and intent of learning. Learning takes however long it takes. My experience has taught me that impatience is an obstacle to learning and to self-awareness.
Oh, and if you missed it, David Dunning did a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) a while back. The entire thread is well worth the read. Science AMA Series:I’m David Dunning, a social psychologist whose research focuses on accuracy and illusion in self-judgment (you may have heard of the Dunning-Kruger effect). How good are we at “knowing thyself”? AMA! • /r/science
https://www.quora.com/In-the-spirit-of-mitigating-the-Dunning-Kruger-effect-what-are-effective-strategies-to-increase-ones-awareness-of-ones-ignorance-or-incompetence/answer/Tirumalai-Kamala
No comments:
Post a Comment