"Unskilled and Unaware of It"
 

Found a report online that I don't even know how to spin to get people to read.

So I guess it's - if you have the time to read this (or a good scan) feel free, comments welcome. I've been tossing these ideas aroud with some other friends and I'm curious what a larger group thinks.

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From the:
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
"Unskilled and Unaware of It: How Difficulties in Recognizing One's Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-Assessments"

http://www.apa.org/journals/psp/psp7761121.html

Abstract
"People tend to hold overly favorable views of their abilities in many social and intellectual domains. The authors suggest that this overestimation occurs, in part, because people who are unskilled in these domains suffer a dual burden: Not only do these people reach erroneous conclusions and make unfortunate choices, but their incompetence robs them of the metacognitive ability to realize it. Across 4 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 their test scores put them in the 12th percentile, they estimated themselves to be in the 62nd. Several analyses linked this miscalibration to deficits in metacognitive skill, or the capacity to distinguish accuracy from error. Paradoxically, improving the skills of participants, and thus increasing their metacognitive competence, helped them recognize the limitations of their abilities."

I've run into this in the workplace, it's a serious problem.

There is also another, similar issue. It involves people who are significantly less than qualified, and know it - but steal credit from others and bullshit their way through things.

Both situations can result in very dangerous conditions.

The incredible part is how often these folks are able to sustain themselves in a work environment by lying and shedding blame onto others. When persons like this get into managerial positions, their incompetence causes havoc within the organization.

Edit - typo

Where I work, we have so many skills assessments its kinda hard to get to the point of not having the skills needed for the job. What we have is almost the opposite, people doing jobs that they are over qualified for.

One of the programs that we have in our schools now is called WorkKeys. This test the students in 9th and 12th grade on 5 seperate areas, reading for information, listening for information, math, writing, and the 5th test is up to the schools. The test are then sent in to be scored. What the scores tell them is are they qualified to do certain jobs. The ACT has profiled different jobs from dishwasher to CEO in a company and each of the test have a level that lets you know which job you would be qualified for. Like for an electrician, they would need high scores in math, reading, and listening and if the student wanted to be an electrician and they took this test in the 9th grade and they scored low in any of these test, the student would know which classes they needed to take between 9th grade and 12th. Then in the 12th grade after they retake the test, they are giving certificates from out Chamber of Commerce with a listing of all 5 scores. They can put these certificates in with their resume to hand out to businesses when they apply for jobs.

The students know they are qualified and the business knows if they have the skills needed for certain jobs.

HellBound

not aware of it is not always the case. theres plenty of dead weight where i work, but many of them know exactly how hard they work, and are very very aware of the skills they lack. but if managers dont hold people to certain stardards, some employees will drift into dead weight land. makes me want to be a manager again, was fun.

When my husband lost his job 12 years and the title he had completely wiped he wen back to school to get what we call tickets or paper for skilled jobs .

I realize some countries use different names but the end result is the same

He is now a tool and die maker which is a guarantee pretty much he will never be out of work however during the schooling process at one time he was laid off and when he went to seek work to the point of any kind just to have a job he was refused repeatedly because he was over qualified.

My point being it is a huge reality that issues like this face all areas of work and though many find some companies tests and stuff annoying you often find the ones that incorporate this type of testing are ones that always flourish.

Having teens 2 to this point have worked at McDonalds and you would not believe the detailed training they get and weekly evaluations but these evaluation are to also help determine their strengths and place them in that area..

I haven't completely read but just a quick run thru but I agree with Drax it is a heavy scale that often tips heavier on one side or another and balance is not always achieved which makes any environment stressful in this case.

I know this study is not all work related but it is often a target for this type of study.

I've read about this fact before. Most persons like to look at themselves as above average. Of course, this is statistically impossible to be true. I don't remember the reasons that were mentioned.

We have a system of rating people in math and language in high school. I remember I scored better then 80% in language and better than 90% in math. I doubt if these scoring systems are very effective since many didn't take them seriously, so they claim.

greetings friends,

so is there somewhere i can take this test online? i would estimate myself to fall into the 62nd percentile.

hey im a union member i better not get started on incompetent os just plain stupid people in the workplace. nobody has enough time to read that bitch.

Nice to see you're still out there Waldo, but no the test is not availible online. Sorry.

:)

"Unskilled and Unaware of It"


I may be the poster child......

Background....I am a high school drop out and employed as a Financial Advisor with the largest financial company in Canada...

I taught myself the things I was interested in....history, polilitics, finance....Right from school I went into sales and have always made a good living at it.....Life is not taught in school...in my opinion,


I am always learning,

I hope not Spartacus....


http://www.apa.org/journals/psp/psp7761121.html

Read the study.

Submitted for your approval, the infamous "Peter Principle," which postulates, among other human/cybernetic dynamics, that in evolution, systems tend to develop up to the limit of their adaptive competence, and in a hierarchically structured administration, people tend to be promoted up to their "level of incompetence."

An ancient and intimate understanding of the marriage of these principles with the statistical analysis above, it seems, may underlie the compassionate Japanese custom of Hara-Kiri. Although you don't see it much anymore, the vestigial memory of this is probably why the Japanese still maintain such an inter vivos advantage over Korporate Amerika, which is bereft of such open traditions of honorable checks and balances.

Of course, the marriage of these principles is manifest in all the frameworks of THE MESH itself, the very tension which anchors every crossed thread in the tapestry of Human interactions toward Corporate Ends. The greater the mass of a corporate venture, the more subordinate and hierarchically dependent, the more determined the process of individuation within. If, at the highest level, the Monkey must merely push a single Red Button to dose itself at will, then the impetus and sole consolation of existing within that system may be that one may openly aspire to this utter divestment of Humanity without incurring any but the most hypocritical inter-personnel judgements.

Anyway, the only thoughtful items I really had to contribute to this thread are two extraordinary manifestations of "inflated self-assesment," I came across recently which seem to illustrate these principles very dramatically, and I couldn't help but share them with you. The first is this remarkable human aquarium and the other is this critical support group also with its own forum.