New research turns the Dunning-Kruger effect on its head: Rethinking the confident incompetent
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 26-Oct-2026 12:17 ET (26-Oct-2026 16:17 GMT/UTC)
Researchers at the University of Bath and The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) suggest that the celebrated Dunning-Kruger effect, often taken to mean the least competent people are the most overconfident, may actually be the wrong way round.
People face different social and environmental contexts that shape the food they eat. Yet policies are often designed around national averages. A new global study finds that recognising those differences could help governments improve health and reduce the environmental impact of diets more effectively and more fairly.