The Disinformation Superhighway, “I Did My Own Research” Dept. 0
At Psychology Today Blogs, Christopher Bergland reviews research that indicates that the eases of using internet search engines leads persons to overestimate their own knowledge and competence.
Methinks this a significant topic in these viral times, when so many (think, for example, the Florida and Texas governors) disdain the reasoned, evidence-based conclusions of science and expertise, and, is so doing, endanger the citizenry.
Here are his key points; follow the link for a detailed discussion of each one.
- The Dunning-Kruger Effect is an illusory cognitive bias marked by overestimating one’s competence, intelligence, or knowledge base.
- People who frequently use search engines like Google are prone to mistake the internet’s knowledge as their own.
- Knowing that Googling often leads to overconfidence in one’s knowledge may be enough to keep the Dunning-Kruger effect in check.
