Overconfindence in Politics & Civic Education: Testing the Dunning-Kruger Effect

• In Event: Political Learning: Teaching Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes

Abstract

Our paper explores whether the civic potential of students may be hampered by the Dunning-Kruger Effect, i.e. having a false confidence in one’s knowledge and ability in a subject when that knowledge and ability are actually lacking and poor. We have been conducting a pretest/posttest assessment of civic literacy and engagement at the beginning and end of American Government courses at a number of colleges and universities. In our assessment, we have a battery of questions designed to measure a student’s knowledge of politics, his/her engagement and likely future engagement, as well as her/his sense of competency in politics. Our assumption is, if someone feels they have a fair grasp on politics then they will be less open to civic education. We want to know if this assumption is true. If so, increasing (or decreasing) a civics curriculum may have no effect on the civic literacy of Americans who exhibit the Dunning-Kruger effect. Through our pretest/posttest assessment at various colleges and universities in American Government classes we can see if the Dunning-Kruger effect is evident, how widespread it is among students, and test if the Dunning-Kruger effect inhibits civic education.

Authors

• Michael T. Rogers, Arkansas Tech University

• Donald M. Gooch, Stephen F. Austin State University