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TRAP #140 ·VOL I The Individual · Attention, Prediction & Knowledge GapsLEXICON ENTRY

The Illusion of Explanatory Depth

Discovered by Leonid Rozenblit, 2002

You think you understand how a zipper works. Try to explain it.
Category: BiasEvidence: ReplicatedUniversality: HighTier 1Type: Mechanismⓘ what these mean

This is a Lexicon entry: the mechanism, when it shows up, and the countermeasure. The full correction, with real-world cases and the audit prompt, hasn't been written yet.

Definition

Primary concept: Overconfidence Effect. Illusion of Explanatory Depth is Overconfidence specific to mechanistic understanding.

When it shows up

Asked to explain how something everyday works: toilets, zippers, economic policy you support, legislation you oppose. Anything you 'understand' at the headline level.

Failure mode

Felt understanding is a thin veneer. When asked to produce the mechanism step by step, large gaps appear that the felt understanding did not reveal. Confident opinions rest on explanatory structures that do not exist.

Countermeasure

Try to write out the mechanism before opining. If you cannot produce a step-by-step explanation, your understanding is at the level of label, not structure. Calibrate confidence accordingly.

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Related traps

Also connected in the mapThe Curse of Knowledge·3 more, locked

Credit & first seen

DiscoveredRozenblit, L.&Keil, F. (2002).'The misunderstood limits of folk science.'Cognitive Science 26(5), 521-562 source ↗

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Want the full correction for The Illusion of Explanatory Depth?

This entry has the mechanism and countermeasure. The full write-up - real cases, sources, the audit prompt - comes later.

Entry #140 of 631 in The Lexicon · see the full Lexicon