You think you have broad knowledge

We often meet people who consider themselves "knowledgeable." If they talk about products like alcohol or motorbikes, they may know a lot. But about health planning, social policy, or nutrition, what they know is not as much as they thought, according to new research in Consumer Research.

The author Jay P. Carlson (Union University), Leslie H, Vincent, David M. Hardesty (both from the University of Kentucky), and William O. Bearden (University of South Carolina) made an analysis for 103 research on consumer knowledge was conducted from 1980 to 2007. Researchers explained: 'Our results show that many people do not realize their knowledge. They deceive themselves that they have a great understanding. '

In research, scientists compare objective knowledge (what one knows) with subjective knowledge (what one thinks they know). They also compared knowledge of goods with service or health knowledge, durable products for durable products, and fun products with practical products.

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The correlation between objective knowledge and subjective knowledge of products and goods is higher than that of health-related services and information.People value their knowledge of fun products better than practical products.

The authors also found that a person's feelings about their own knowledge depend on the object they compare themselves to.'Our results indicate that compared to an expert, the correlation between subjective knowledge and an objective knowledge of a person is higher than when compared to an average person'.

Refer:
1. Jay P. Carlson, Leslie H. Vincent, David M. Hardesty, and William O. Bearden. Objective and Subjective Knowledge Relationships: A Quantitative Analysis of Consumer Research Findings. Journal of Consumer Research, February 2009