Social Psychology Studies the "Lake Wobegon" Effect

Lake Wobegon, of course, is the mythical community in upper Minnesota, the creation of Garrison Keillor where, among other things, "all the children are above-average".

Since 1999, David Dunning and Justin Kruger (along with various co-investigators) have been studying the tendency of incompetent people to over-estimate their competence and of more competent people to under-estimate theirs.  The ability to make judgments about one's (and others') thinking is called "metacognition" by social scientists.  In this book of essays, Dunning summarizes findings about the various factors which can impeded metacognition.


I'd love to buy this book...but it is SO DAMNED EXPENSIVE!