Knowledge Curse: Why is it so difficult to explain something to others

Surely you've ever tried in vain to explain to a friend how something works. You thought that you explained to all the easier to nowhere, but he still could not penetrate through. It's not that your friend is very blunt. Just you are prone to cognitive biases, which is called the curse of knowledge.

teachers are often faced with it. They forget that the level of students' knowledge is very different from their own. Therefore, use terms and complex expressions, which are not always understood by beginners. And such distortion affects us all.

We think that others know the same thing and we

This is precisely the thinking error called "curse of knowledge". In 1990, psychologist Elizabeth Newton (Elizabeth Newton) has demonstrated its effect during the experimentThe rocky road from actions to intentions. As part of its some participants were tapping on the table with the rhythm of the famous song, and others to guess its name.

And first it was necessary to assume, what is the probability that their melody guess. On average, they were called the probability of 50%. In fact, of the 120 songs listeners guessed only three. That is a real probability was 2.5%.

why is expectations and reality differ so much? The fact that tapping scrolled in mind the melody that tried to pass, and knock on the table complement it. They find it hard to imagine that a song can not learn. But for the audience it was some incomprehensible Morse code. It tells us little about what lies behind it. Those who have the information more difficult to understand those who have it have little or no at all.

We forget about someone else's point of view

Everyone looks at the world through the prism of their own perception. To remember that those around a different experience, you need to consciously tighten. Therefore, it is difficult to teach someone what you know yourself, and imagineThe Curse of Knowledge in Reasoning About False BeliefsThat he was about this have no idea. It is difficult to understand and predict its behavior, when you have "cursed" knowledge.

For example, the movement of professional athletes beginners It may seem absurd, grossly erroneous. Simply, he has mastered the correct technique and does not remember how to operate without this knowledge.

This happens in all spheres. Managers and employees, marketers and customers, scientists and people who they have something to explain - all while communications suffer from skewed information as tapping melody and their listeners.

But this can be combated

• Remind yourself of this cognitive distortion. Not everyone knows the same thing you are.
• Always decrypt terms and complex concepts, if you speak at a conference or just explain something to nonprofessionals. Even if you think this information is obvious.
• Specific examples. Tells how the idea embodied in the real life. Bring not dry facts and stories: they are more understandable and more memorable.
• Ask if everything is clear when train someone. Ask the person to repeat what was said in your own words.
• Put yourself in the place of talking with someone. Think of it point of view and the level of knowledge in order to better understand his reaction.