Dunning Kruger and GMO Opposition

[progressoid]

Readers of this blog may recognize this pattern as the Dunning-Kruger effect (DK) – the less someone knows about a topic the greater they overestimate their knowledge. Actually the pattern the current authors found is even more extreme that DK. In DK self-estimation still goes down with objective knowledge, but the degree to which people overestimate their knowledge increases. The current study is super DK – at the extreme end of opposition to GMOs, opponents actually knew the least about genetics but thought they knew the most. As the authors say:

Moreover, the relationship between self-assessed and objective knowledge shifts from positive to negative at high levels of opposition.

This does not happen with ordinary DK. The effect was also robust and widespread:

Similar results were obtained in a parallel study with representative samples from the United States, France and Germany, and in a study testing attitudes about a medical application of genetic engineering technology (gene therapy). This pattern did not emerge, however, for attitudes and beliefs about climate change.

That’s very interesting, that the reversal effect was not seen with climate change. There was still an ordinary DK effect, just not this super DK reversal of knowledge and confidence. What all this means is that while ordinary DK effect is in play here, it does not completely explain the results. Something else is going on with anti-GMO propaganda. That is worth exploring further.

...https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/dunning-kruger-and-gmo-opposition/?fbclid=IwAR3BQpmdYPUomcOXX90vUQ_da3t9yCzNRfY5mSvV-T_xXM6ZlXlIDJiCbpk

The study, Extreme opponents of genetically modified foods know the least, but think they know the most

[zipplewrath]

1. A little knowledge can be dangerous

You know what you know, but you don't know what you don't know.

Click and Clack used to say the only thing more dangerous than one guy that doesn't know what he's talking about, are 2 guys that don't know what they are talking about. I guy basically says "I don't know". But two guys will say, "I don't know, but...".

[akraven]

2. I miss those guys, and Car Talk.

Neither here nor there, but IF (rare) I come in on something strongly, I'll have read and researched it as thoroughly as possible. We have an incredible local University, open to all, and one heck of a library if I can't get it online. UAF is one of the top climate-change research universities in the nation.

And it's true - not all of what you hear on TV or the radio (sound bites) or even online can be verified. Choose your debates wisely!