The Illusion of Explanatory Depth

The illusion of explanatory depth is the human tendency to believe we understand complex phenomena much more deeply than we actually do. We mistake our familiarity with something for a true understanding of its causal mechanisms.

This illusion is easily exposed when we are asked to actually explain how something works. For example:

• Most people are confident they know how a bicycle or a flush toilet works.
• However, when asked to draw a diagram or explain the step-by-step process, their confidence plummets as they realize the gaps in their knowledge.

This illusion is particularly strong for phenomena with many hidden parts or invisible processes (e.g., a computer, the immune system, a vaccine). We see the inputs and outputs and assume we understand the complex processes in between.

This has several implications for misbelief:

1. Overconfidence: It allows people to hold strong opinions on complex topics (like climate change or virology) with very little actual understanding.
2. Resistance to Correction: Because they feel like they understand, they are less open to new information from genuine experts.
3. A Tool for Persuasion: Challenging someone's illusion of explanatory depth can be a useful tool for promoting intellectual humility. Asking someone to explain how their pet conspiracy theory actually works, in detail, can help them recognize the shallowness of their own understanding. This can be more effective than directly confronting them with facts.

Tags: #psychology #cognition #bias #illusion-of-explanatory-depth #knowledge #overconfidence #understanding