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65% of Americans believe they are above average in intelligence

Spunkylama

Spunkylama

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www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

65% of Americans believe they are above average in intelligence: Results of two nationally representative surveys

Psychologists often note that most people think they are above average in intelligence. We sought robust, contemporary evidence for this “smarter than average” effect by asking Americans in two independent samples (total N = 2,821) whether ...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

65% of Americans believe they are above average in intelligence: Results of two nationally representative surveys​


Abstract​

Psychologists often note that most people think they are above average in intelligence. We sought robust, contemporary evidence for this “smarter than average” effect by asking Americans in two independent samples (total N = 2,821) whether they agreed with the statement, “I am more intelligent than the average person.” After weighting each sample to match the demographics of U.S. census data, we found that 65% of Americans believe they are smarter than average, with men more likely to agree than women. However, overconfident beliefs about one’s intelligence are not always unrealistic: more educated people were more likely to think their intelligence is above average. We suggest that a tendency to overrate one’s cognitive abilities may be a stable feature of human psychology.
Go to:

Introduction​

The statement that a majority of people claim to be more intelligent than average is literally a textbook example of overconfidence and self-enhancement [1–6]. Here we ask whether such “intelligence overconfidence” is reliably found in large samples weighted to be nationally representative, differs by method of data collection (telephone or online), and varies according to demographic factors including sex, age, and race/ethnicity. The answers to these questions will help solidify the evidence base for popular claims in psychology and contribute to research on self-perceptions, overconfidence, and intelligence.
Most demonstrations of the “smarter than average” effect are conducted using convenience samples, a method that raises concerns about generalizability [7,8]. Some studies have improved upon convenience sampling by collecting nationally representative survey data from college [9] and high school [10] students to measure change in self-positivity and narcissism over time. However, student populations suffer the limitations of failing to represent older and less-educated people, differing from the general population in income, race/ethnicity, and sex, and potentially having difficulty imagining the “average person” outside of a university environment.

*Do you believe Americans in general are more intelligent than average?
 
Spunkylama said:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

65% of Americans believe they are above average in intelligence: Results of two nationally representative surveys

Psychologists often note that most people think they are above average in intelligence. We sought robust, contemporary evidence for this “smarter than average” effect by asking Americans in two independent samples (total N = 2,821) whether ...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

65% of Americans believe they are above average in intelligence: Results of two nationally representative surveys​


Abstract​

Psychologists often note that most people think they are above average in intelligence. We sought robust, contemporary evidence for this “smarter than average” effect by asking Americans in two independent samples (total N = 2,821) whether they agreed with the statement, “I am more intelligent than the average person.” After weighting each sample to match the demographics of U.S. census data, we found that 65% of Americans believe they are smarter than average, with men more likely to agree than women. However, overconfident beliefs about one’s intelligence are not always unrealistic: more educated people were more likely to think their intelligence is above average. We suggest that a tendency to overrate one’s cognitive abilities may be a stable feature of human psychology.
Go to:

Introduction​

The statement that a majority of people claim to be more intelligent than average is literally a textbook example of overconfidence and self-enhancement [1–6]. Here we ask whether such “intelligence overconfidence” is reliably found in large samples weighted to be nationally representative, differs by method of data collection (telephone or online), and varies according to demographic factors including sex, age, and race/ethnicity. The answers to these questions will help solidify the evidence base for popular claims in psychology and contribute to research on self-perceptions, overconfidence, and intelligence.
Most demonstrations of the “smarter than average” effect are conducted using convenience samples, a method that raises concerns about generalizability [7,8]. Some studies have improved upon convenience sampling by collecting nationally representative survey data from college [9] and high school [10] students to measure change in self-positivity and narcissism over time. However, student populations suffer the limitations of failing to represent older and less-educated people, differing from the general population in income, race/ethnicity, and sex, and potentially having difficulty imagining the “average person” outside of a university environment.

*Do you believe Americans in general are more intelligent than average?
Click to expand...
How many of them live in Lake Wobegon?

"That's the news from Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average."

I miss Garrison Keiller (?)
 
Spunkylama said:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

65% of Americans believe they are above average in intelligence: Results of two nationally representative surveys

Psychologists often note that most people think they are above average in intelligence. We sought robust, contemporary evidence for this “smarter than average” effect by asking Americans in two independent samples (total N = 2,821) whether ...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

65% of Americans believe they are above average in intelligence: Results of two nationally representative surveys​


Abstract​

Psychologists often note that most people think they are above average in intelligence. We sought robust, contemporary evidence for this “smarter than average” effect by asking Americans in two independent samples (total N = 2,821) whether they agreed with the statement, “I am more intelligent than the average person.” After weighting each sample to match the demographics of U.S. census data, we found that 65% of Americans believe they are smarter than average, with men more likely to agree than women. However, overconfident beliefs about one’s intelligence are not always unrealistic: more educated people were more likely to think their intelligence is above average. We suggest that a tendency to overrate one’s cognitive abilities may be a stable feature of human psychology.
Go to:

Introduction​

The statement that a majority of people claim to be more intelligent than average is literally a textbook example of overconfidence and self-enhancement [1–6]. Here we ask whether such “intelligence overconfidence” is reliably found in large samples weighted to be nationally representative, differs by method of data collection (telephone or online), and varies according to demographic factors including sex, age, and race/ethnicity. The answers to these questions will help solidify the evidence base for popular claims in psychology and contribute to research on self-perceptions, overconfidence, and intelligence.
Most demonstrations of the “smarter than average” effect are conducted using convenience samples, a method that raises concerns about generalizability [7,8]. Some studies have improved upon convenience sampling by collecting nationally representative survey data from college [9] and high school [10] students to measure change in self-positivity and narcissism over time. However, student populations suffer the limitations of failing to represent older and less-educated people, differing from the general population in income, race/ethnicity, and sex, and potentially having difficulty imagining the “average person” outside of a university environment.

*Do you believe Americans in general are more intelligent than average?
Click to expand...
Welp there are a lot of people who are quite mistaken. Though to be honest, it would only be noticeable in consistent extremes. Most people are on the one side or the other of a very narrow bell curve and the actual differences are minuscule like a point or 2.
 
tacomancer said:
I am surprised its only 65%. People tend to have an oversized opinion of their ability.
Click to expand...
Hanging around here is humbling. I see posts from people who know far more than me in economics, politics, history and so many other subjects. But then there are the people whose every post is a case-study of Dunning Kruger and the need to study the definition of 'their' at an early age.

Those posts make me feel better.
 
Allan said:
Hanging around here is humbling. I see posts from people who know far more than me in economics, politics, history and so many other subjects. But then there are the people whose every post is a case-study of Dunning Kruger and the need to study the definition of 'their' at an early age.

Those posts make me feel better.
Click to expand...
Knowledge and intelligence are not the same thing. Good education can increase the former but not the latter.
 
Allan said:
Hanging around here is humbling. I see posts from people who know far more than me in economics, politics, history and so many other subjects. But then there are the people whose every post is a case-study of Dunning Kruger and the need to study the definition of 'their' at an early age.

Those posts make me feel better.
Click to expand...
I didn’t see your post before I posted. I agree, I thought I was well rounded, information-wise, before I got here. It can be sobering, but I have learned so much.
 
Spunkylama said:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

65% of Americans believe they are above average in intelligence: Results of two nationally representative surveys

Psychologists often note that most people think they are above average in intelligence. We sought robust, contemporary evidence for this “smarter than average” effect by asking Americans in two independent samples (total N = 2,821) whether ...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

65% of Americans believe they are above average in intelligence: Results of two nationally representative surveys​


Abstract​

Psychologists often note that most people think they are above average in intelligence. We sought robust, contemporary evidence for this “smarter than average” effect by asking Americans in two independent samples (total N = 2,821) whether they agreed with the statement, “I am more intelligent than the average person.” After weighting each sample to match the demographics of U.S. census data, we found that 65% of Americans believe they are smarter than average, with men more likely to agree than women. However, overconfident beliefs about one’s intelligence are not always unrealistic: more educated people were more likely to think their intelligence is above average. We suggest that a tendency to overrate one’s cognitive abilities may be a stable feature of human psychology.
Go to:

Introduction​

The statement that a majority of people claim to be more intelligent than average is literally a textbook example of overconfidence and self-enhancement [1–6]. Here we ask whether such “intelligence overconfidence” is reliably found in large samples weighted to be nationally representative, differs by method of data collection (telephone or online), and varies according to demographic factors including sex, age, and race/ethnicity. The answers to these questions will help solidify the evidence base for popular claims in psychology and contribute to research on self-perceptions, overconfidence, and intelligence.
Most demonstrations of the “smarter than average” effect are conducted using convenience samples, a method that raises concerns about generalizability [7,8]. Some studies have improved upon convenience sampling by collecting nationally representative survey data from college [9] and high school [10] students to measure change in self-positivity and narcissism over time. However, student populations suffer the limitations of failing to represent older and less-educated people, differing from the general population in income, race/ethnicity, and sex, and potentially having difficulty imagining the “average person” outside of a university environment.

*Do you believe Americans in general are more intelligent than average?
Click to expand...

RULE #1 of Duning-Kruger Club:

"You don't know you're IN the Duning-Kruger Club!"
 
Sweden said:
Knowledge and intelligence are not the same thing. Good education can increase the former but not the latter.
Click to expand...
I disagree - the reason that some do better on IQ tests is that they have experienced a better education. There have been lots of studies published showing the correlation.
 
Allan said:
I disagree - the reason that some do better on IQ tests is that they have experienced a better education. There have been lots of studies published showing the correlation.
Click to expand...
I don’t know, Allan.

I’ve seen examples of this phrase; Expensively schooled, negligibly educated.
 
Spunkylama said:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

65% of Americans believe they are above average in intelligence: Results of two nationally representative surveys

Psychologists often note that most people think they are above average in intelligence. We sought robust, contemporary evidence for this “smarter than average” effect by asking Americans in two independent samples (total N = 2,821) whether ...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

65% of Americans believe they are above average in intelligence: Results of two nationally representative surveys​


Abstract​

Psychologists often note that most people think they are above average in intelligence. We sought robust, contemporary evidence for this “smarter than average” effect by asking Americans in two independent samples (total N = 2,821) whether they agreed with the statement, “I am more intelligent than the average person.” After weighting each sample to match the demographics of U.S. census data, we found that 65% of Americans believe they are smarter than average, with men more likely to agree than women. However, overconfident beliefs about one’s intelligence are not always unrealistic: more educated people were more likely to think their intelligence is above average. We suggest that a tendency to overrate one’s cognitive abilities may be a stable feature of human psychology.
Go to:

Introduction​

The statement that a majority of people claim to be more intelligent than average is literally a textbook example of overconfidence and self-enhancement [1–6]. Here we ask whether such “intelligence overconfidence” is reliably found in large samples weighted to be nationally representative, differs by method of data collection (telephone or online), and varies according to demographic factors including sex, age, and race/ethnicity. The answers to these questions will help solidify the evidence base for popular claims in psychology and contribute to research on self-perceptions, overconfidence, and intelligence.
Most demonstrations of the “smarter than average” effect are conducted using convenience samples, a method that raises concerns about generalizability [7,8]. Some studies have improved upon convenience sampling by collecting nationally representative survey data from college [9] and high school [10] students to measure change in self-positivity and narcissism over time. However, student populations suffer the limitations of failing to represent older and less-educated people, differing from the general population in income, race/ethnicity, and sex, and potentially having difficulty imagining the “average person” outside of a university environment.

*Do you believe Americans in general are more intelligent than average?
Click to expand...
Well, at least 35% of the people got it right.
 
Allan said:
I disagree - the reason that some do better on IQ tests is that they have experienced a better education. There have been lots of studies published showing the correlation.
Click to expand...
I think its because the more intelligent people are the more likely they are to experience a better education.

Intelligent children tend to have intelligent parents who try hard to get them into good schools - and who support their learning in every way they can.
 
I know that I am one of the 35% who are of average intelligence or below.

I am terribly ashamed, for example, of my utter stupidity when it comes to math & science.

My cellular phone is only a flip phone, and even it intimidates me.

I am 85, so I can play the age card.
 
I am somewhat more intelligent than the average rock.
 
TheParser said:
I know that I am one of the 35% who are of average intelligence or below.

I am terribly ashamed, for example, of my utter stupidity when it comes to math & science.

My cellular phone is only a flip phone, and even it intimidates me.

I am 85, so I can play the age card.
Click to expand...
 
 
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