Better cocksure than correct, study finds

Have you ever needed to convince someone you’re giving sound advice? Be more self-confident even if you aren’t sure. A study conducted by Don Moore of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania shows people “prefer advice from a confident source, even to the point that we are willing to forgive a poor track record.”

Does this finding have bearing outside of academia? Of course it does. People seek advice all the time; think financial planners, therapists, lawyers. This means we can’t take expert opinions  by face value because confidence does not always mean they’re right. Do research on a subject first, ask for a second opinion—in other words exercise due diligence when you ask for professional help and you’ll be less likely to find yourself up that-creek. [New Scientist via Daring Fireball]

Aldhous, Peter. “Humans prefer cockiness to expertise.” New Scientist on the Web. Reed Business Information, Inc. Jun 10, 2009 Jul 28, 2009 <http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20227115.500-humans-prefer-cockiness-to-expertise.html>

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