DERP...explained scientifically...

[Left]

WHY didn't I  get taught about this in sociology class???
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect

Dunning and Kruger set out to test these hypotheses on Cornell undergraduates in psychology courses. In a series of studies, they examined the subjects' self-assessment of logical reasoning skills, grammatical skills, and humor. After being shown their test scores, the subjects were again asked to estimate their own rank: the competent group accurately estimated their rank, while the incompetent group still overestimated theirs. As Dunning and Kruger noted,

    Across four studies, the authors found that participants scoring in the bottom quartile on tests of humor, grammar, and logic grossly overestimated their test performance and ability. Although test scores put them in the 12th percentile, they estimated themselves to be in the 62nd.

I mean, it's right up there with the Peter principle, which explains my boss very well:

The Peter Principle is a proposition that states that the members of an organization where promotion is based on achievement, success and merit will eventually be promoted beyond their level of ability. The principle is commonly phrased, "Employees tend to rise to their level of incompetence." In more formal parlance, the effect could be stated as: employees tend to be given more authority until they cannot continue to work competently. It was formulated by Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull in their 1969 book The Peter Principle, a humorous[1] treatise, which also introduced the "salutary science of hierarchiology".

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Principle)

But the Peter Principle applies to the workplace, Dunning-Kruger applies EVERYWHERE. 

[Cain]

We refer to Dunning-Kruger all the time on these here forums.

The lesson to infer from this: sociology class is inferior to spags on the internet

[Eater of Clowns]

Sometimes we even write it into raps.

http://www.principiadiscordia.com/forum/index.php/topic,25419.msg1017945.html#msg1017945

[Left]

We refer to Dunning-Kruger all the time on these here forums.

The lesson to infer from this: sociology class is inferior to spags on the internet

Depends on what site you're at.
This one has some good spags on it.

But I actually read about it on one of the other Interweb hangouts I have.

[P3nT4gR4m]

We refer to Dunning-Kruger all the time on these here forums.

The lesson to infer from this: sociology class is inferior to spags on the internet

Depends on what site you're at.
This one has some good spags on it.

But I actually read about it on one of the other Interweb hangouts I have.

Pretty sure they stole the idea from us, tho

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

It's pretty much my favorite psychology study ever.

[P3nT4gR4m]

It's pretty much my favorite psychology study ever.

Why you hating on Milgram? 

[Eater of Clowns]

I'm a fan of the Asch conformity experiments, myself.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I'm a fan of the Asch conformity experiments, myself.

The Asch experiments are super-interesting and reveal a lot about how different societies work. There's a lot of good stuff in psychology, but still... for just sheer applicability, David Dunning and Justin Kruger can have my piece of cake.

They've both done a lot of other really interesting work individually, but as far as I know that's the only project they collaborated on. I think Dr. Dunning was Kruger's graduate advisor. 

[Left]

Much as I hate the idea of torturing doggies    The learned helplessness experiments explain so much.