The Dunning-Kruger Effect states that those with the least ability tend to overestimate their skill the most.

There are mixed evidence of Dunning-Kruger. Some states that the Dunning-Kruger doesn’t exist and is purely a statistic artifact of autocorrelation and can be produced even with randomly generated data 1 2 3.

In popular culture, the Dunning-Kruger effect is often misinterpreted as “dumb people not knowing they are dumb.” Another misinterpretation of this effect, often referred to as “Mount Stupid,” is also widely circulated on social media.

”Mount Stupid” Curve Interpretation

This widely circulated interpretation significantly diverges from the original study and lacks any evidence whatsoever:

Footnotes

  1. The Dunning-Kruger Effect is Autocorrelation – Economics from the Top Down

  2. The Dunning-Kruger Effect Is Probably Not Real | Office for Science and Society - McGill University

  3. The Dunning-Kruger Effect Isn’t What You Think It Is | Scientific American