Do you pride yourself on always being right? Entitlement or a “know-it-all” creates an air of overconfidence, whether it’s self-proclaimed tech gurus who claim to be able to fix your gadget but instead rely on Google for every step, or smug keyboard warriors who brave the comments section with half-assed information .
A study published in PLOS ONE called this intelligent and overconfident behavior of “omniscients” the “illusion of informational adequacy.” The researchers explained that people feel more confident when they have incomplete information. Their position is only as strong as the people who have a complete understanding of the problem.
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Incomplete information and overconfidence
Confidence soars through the roof, even when important information is missing. Researchers conducted a study in which participants were divided into groups about the merger of two schools and given one group comprehensive information, while the other groups received only partial information, either for or against the merger. The results showed that those who received partial information were just as confident in their decisions as those who received full information, and sometimes even more persistent and adamant in their judgments resulting from incomplete information. information.
Angus Fletcher, one of the authors, said: “Those who had only half the information were actually more confident in their decision to join or stay separate than those who had the full story. They were completely sure that their decision was correct, even though they didn’t have all the information.”
Consequences
In the real world, this psychological phenomenon is more common than you might think. You may be holding this distorted mindset without even realizing it. The researchers used the example of social media, where people are strongly held to their opinions, making decisions and judgments based on incomplete headlines or short snippets of context. No significant context is highlighted, yet people on social media are quick to make judgments, and such behavior often paves the way for misunderstandings and conflict.
Not just on social media, but this behavior is also ingrained in approaches to public debate. The researchers pointed out that whether discussing climate change, vaccines or political issues, people on opposite sides often feel equally informed but fail to see the bigger picture.
Angus Fletcher reiterated the importance of full information. The information gap is filled by deeply held beliefs, which may be erroneous or stereotypical. The study explained the importance of always asking, “What am I missing?” in conflict or disagreement. This approach helps to resolve conflicts more effectively.
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