You have most likely met someone suffering from the Dunning-Kruger effect, perhaps at a social gathering, at school, or at the workplace. This person believes he or she has an exceptional ability in or understanding of a subject when in reality, they don’t. Some might call these people “liars,” but such individuals can’t really be described that way if they truly believe in their knowledge or abilities. Others might label them as “idiots♦,” but, in fact, they might not have a low IQ♦. Thanks to two Cornell University professors named David Dunning and Justin Kruger, we can more appropriately say that incompetent people who greatly overestimate their ability or knowledge are experiencing the Dunning-Kruger effect.
Dunning and Kruger studied this phenomenon and published their results in 1999. The social psychologists♦ asked subjects to answer questions related to grammar, logic♦, and humor, and asked them to rate their own performance. The researchers discovered that many of those who performed the worst on the examinations estimated they had done well. One of the most interesting conclusions Dunning and Kruger reached was that some people who were incompetent also lacked the ability to realize it.
The researchers offered reasons for the cause of the Dunning-Kruger effect. Obviously, people who are bad at something lack the necessary skills to be competent. Dunning and Kruger concluded that, without those important skills, they also don’t realize they are incompetent in a particular area. Moreover, the psychologists said, people who experience this phenomenon are poor at objectively judging their own abilities. That is, they can’t stand back and evaluate themselves as others might. While it’s tempting to believe only fools fall into the trap of the Dunning-Kruger effect, no one is immune.
1. Who is suffering from the Dunning-Kruger effect, according to the passage?
(A) Mike, whose test scores are often poor but who wants to improve.
(B) Hannah, who is a pretty good singer but thinks she isn’t.
(C) Jake, who believes he is a great golfer but is awful at the sport.
(D) Beth, who is always worried that she will make a mistake.
2. According to the passage, why shouldn’t someone experiencing the Dunning-Kruger effect be called an idiot?
(A) It is insulting to call someone an idiot.
(B) The term “idiot” is not a scientific explanation.
(C) Idiots are too stupid to know about the Dunning-Kruger effect.
(D) A Dunning-Kruger effect sufferer might be of normal intelligence.
3. Which of the following topics were participants♦ NOT asked about in Dunning and Kruger’s study?
(A) Analytical♦ questions.
(B) Questions about word usage♦.
(C) Psychological questions.
(D) Questions about what is funny.
4. What does the last sentence of the passage imply?
(A) The Dunning-Kruger effect can affect almost any person.
(B) Very few people suffer from the Dunning-Kruger effect.
(C) Those believing in the Dunning-Kruger effect are foolish.
(D) Experts don’t agree on the Dunning-Kruger effect.
◆ incompetent a. 無能的;不能勝任的
competent a. 有能力的;能勝任的
◆ idiot n. 傻瓜
◆ IQ 智商(= intelligence quotient )
◆ psychologist n. 心理學家
psychological a. 心理(學)的
◆ logic n. 邏輯
◆ participant n. 參加者,參與者
◆ analytical a. 分析的,解析的
◆ usage n.(語言的)用法
be of intelligence 有智力的;聰明的,有才智的
intelligence n. 智力
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「be of + 某些抽象名詞」就等於意思相對應的形容詞,或是具有相對應的特質,以下介紹常見的用法:
While it’s tempting to believe only fools fall into the trap of the Dunning-Kruger effect, no one is immune.
介紹 while 作連接詞時的三種重要用法:
總覺得自己好棒棒?小心達克效應上身!
你很有可能遇過受達克效應(編按:或稱鄧寧-克魯格效應)所苦的人,地點或許是在社交聚會、學校或是工作場所中。這種人認為自己某種能力不凡或是很懂某個主題,但事實根本不是這樣。有些人可能會叫他們「騙子」,但如果他們真心相信自己的知識或能力,我們不能真的用這種說法來形容這樣的人。其他人可能會給他們貼上「傻瓜」的標籤,但其實他們的智商可能並不低。多虧了大衛.鄧寧和賈斯汀.克魯格這兩位康乃爾大學教授,我們可以更恰當地說,能力不足卻又過度高估自己能力或知識的人正受到達克效應的影響。
鄧寧和克魯格研究了這種現象,並在 1999 年發表他們的研究結果。這兩位社會心理學家要求受試者回答關於文法、邏輯和幽默的問題,並要求他們評估自己的表現。這兩位研究人員發現,許多受試表現最差的人會評估自己答得很好。鄧寧和克魯格得到最有趣的結論之一就是,有些能力不足的人也缺乏認清這個事實的能力。
這兩位研究人員提供了造成達克效應的理由。顯然,不擅長某事的人缺乏了勝任該事的必要技能。鄧寧和克魯格推斷,少了那些重要技能,他們也不會意識到自己其實是沒有某個特定領域的能力的。此外,這兩位心理學家表示,受到這種現象影響的人很難客觀判斷自己的能力。也就是說,他們無法像其他人一樣退一步來客觀評斷自己。儘管我們很容易就會認為只有傻瓜才會掉進達克效應的陷阱,但其實沒有人可以倖免。
1. 根據本文,下列何人正受到達克效應的影響?
(A) 麥克:考試成績經常很差,但有想要進步。
(B) 漢娜:很會唱歌,卻覺得自己唱得不好。
(C) 傑克:自以為很會打高爾夫球,但在該運動的表現極差。
(D) 貝絲:總是擔心自己會犯錯。
2. 根據本文,受到達克效應影響的人為何不該被叫做傻瓜?
(A) 叫人傻瓜很侮辱人。
(B) 「傻瓜」一詞不是科學性的說明。
(C) 傻瓜蠢到不懂達克效應是什麼。
(D) 受到達克效應影響的人智力或許很正常。
3. 鄧寧和克魯格研究的參與者沒被問到下列哪一種主題?
(A) 分析問題。
(B) 關於詞彙用法的問題。
(C) 心理問題。
(D) 關於什麼是有趣的問題。
4. 本文最後一句暗示什麼?
(A) 幾乎任何人都有可能受到達克效應的影響。
(B) 很少人受達克效應所苦。
(C) 那些相信達克效應的人很傻。
(D) 專家對達克效應沒有共識。
答案: 1. C 2. D 3. C 4. A
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