Discrepancies between a student’s self-assessment and their actual performance are common. It’s human nature to struggle with uncomfortable truths, and perhaps the most uncomfortable kind of truth is that we are not as skilled or knowledgeable as we thought. In fact, this phenomenon, known as the Dunning-Kruger effect, happens for almost all of us at some point in our lives.
In our makerspace, the battle between this effect and its opposite, imposter syndrome, happens in this section of the universal skills and traits:
Watch the two videos below, and then use the comment section to relate what you learn to yourselves, your learning environment, and your academic goals.
The Dunning-Kruger Effect: Why Incompetent People Think They’re Amazing
What Is Imposter Syndrome, and How Can You Combat It?
How does the Dunning-Kruger effect correlate to Generation Z, a generation which is recorded as having incredibly high depression and anxiety rates? Students consistently believe that their skills are poor and they have a low self worth. Could a reverse Dunning-Kruger be occurring with the rise of social media and increased availability of knowledge?
Could it be that the imposter syndrome is more relevant than the Dunning-Kruger effect in the current generation?
Definitely. I also think it varies from class to class and course to course. We often reflect the people we’re with most often, and for many of you, imposter syndrome is a daily problem.
What’s interesting is how much easier it is to be kind to someone who is suffering from imposter syndrome than someone who has an inflated sense of success. It is painful to puncture that Dunning-Kruger bubble, because I know how upsetting that can be. I think all of us have, at one point or another, had to confront our own limitations. It’s tough.
I think so. It’s worth writing about, and I’d ask you to do that writing. Imposter syndrome is a little bit different from what seems to be happening with your generation. There’s a reason I am asking you all to check in every day with me: I know that depression and anxiety are at record highs. We have to take care of each other.
I agreed with what the article and video was discussing. I agree with the statement that students tend to have discrepancies between their self-assessment and their actual work and work ethic. This is most likely because students want to make themselves more successful than they are when it comes to assessing themselves because students typically become grade obsessed and want the best grade possible. Most students become blinded by the numbers that appear on their report cards. They in a way become wild, in that a tenth of a point could break a friendship apart. In response to the first video featured here titled “Why Incompetent People Think They’re Amazing”, I believe that the video tells viewers the complete opposite of what really occurs in reality based off of my experience. In my experiences, people who are capable of doing great things and being extremely successful, normally believe that they can’t do anything and are “dumb” or “stupid”. They believe that they have no potential when really, it is quite the opposite. I’ve always wondered why this is so.
Watch the video on imposter syndrome. That’s what you’re describing.
It’s most interesting — in a heartbreaking way — to see you say that “a tenth of a point could break a friendship apart.” Is that something worth writing about?
It’s interesting to think about how Einstein described himself as an involuntary swindler with all that he accomplished but the Dunning Kruger Effect and Imposter syndrome both manifest why feedback is vital.
If a person is under the imposter effect, one way they can confirm this by talking with their peers. But what if a person is an actual imposter? What if after talking with their peers they confirm that they actually don’t deserve their success. Say that someone never study as hard as their friends, but always receive higher grades than those who work harder than her/himself. Feeling like an imposter would seem accurate in that situation, and they aren’t under the imposter effect, because they actually didn’t work hard for their accomplishments. I think everyone knows someone in their lives who doesn’t work very hard but always succeeds. So I guess my question is, are these “true” imposters actually under the imposter effect, even though they think they aren’t?
This is a great observation and question. I think you’ve described a separate phenomenon from the ones discussed in this post, which are more about accurately valuing your ability. What you’ve described is a person who succeeds in school without putting in effort. That’s interesting.
I’d ask you to read this: Why Johnny Can’t Fail. It is somewhat ironically blocked at school, so until it gets unblocked, you’ll have to read it on your own. It could be that a floating standard of sorts contributes to academic success without effort.
Another possibility is that the system is set up to reward a particular kind of natural talent, especially a talent for memorization and regurgitation, that is not necessarily linked to effort. Some folks have a better memory, or they’ve honed a better memory through traditional schooling.
Finally, it might be that students who seem to succeed without effort are gaming the system. Read this: My Insane Homework Load Taught Me How to Game the System. That’s a different kind of effort.
Anyone reading this comment can take those possibilities and texts and run with them, trying to answer the questions you’ve posed. Even if it isn’t formally assigned, it’s an assignment worth doing.
In the video entitled What is Imposter Syndrome, and How Can You Combat It, I feel that the author makes a good point when he describes the way in which skilled people have trouble viewing their accomplishments as “worthy” to other people’s. I feel that society today has often caused people to have a higher standard for their work, which is largely due to the praised works of others online. But what many people don’t understand is that many of these people have accomplishments that are of equal or higher prestige than those of other peoples. I feel that in school we often compare ourselves to the higher achievers in our class and think that we will never be as talented as they are. But we fail to see the many accomplishments that we have over them, whether it be through sports, music or education. As a result we often think less of ourselves and label ourselves as “stupid” or “bad,” when in reality we are more capable than we think.
Yes, that seems right. It’s why the course here has evolved so that collegiality and empathy are first: We need a system of encouragement to help folks fight off imposter syndrome and the Dunning-Kruger effect. Peer feedback is powerful — as long as it is ameliorative and accurate, that is.