Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 8, 2026

Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
Published on: September 27, 2020
Emotionally unskilled, unaware, and uninterested in learning more: reactions to feedback about deficits in emotional
Oliver J Sheldon1, David Dunning2, Daniel R Ames3
1Rutgers Business School-Newark and New Brunswick, Rutgers University.
Abstract:
Despite the importance of self-awareness for managerial success, many organizational members hold overly optimistic views of their expertise and performance-a phenomenon particularly prevalent among those least skilled in a given domain. We examined whether this same pattern extends to appraisals of emotional intelligence (EI), a critical managerial competency. We also examined why this overoptimism tends to survive explicit feedback about performance. Across 3 studies involving professional students, we found that the least skilled had limited insight into deficits in their performance. Moreover, when given concrete feedback, low performers disparaged either the accuracy or the relevance of that feedback, depending on how expediently they could do so. Consequently, they expressed more reluctance than top performers to pursue various paths to self-improvement, including purchasing a book on EI or paying for professional coaching. Paradoxically, it was top performers who indicated a stronger desire to improve their EI following feedback.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Introspection
Socioemotional Development during Infancy
Primary Temperament Types
Stella Chess...
Self-Evaluation: Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification
Personality Disorders: Narcissistic and Avoidant
Characteristics of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Narcissistic individuals exhibit an inflated sense of self-importance and an excessive need for admiration. They are often...
Multiple Intelligences Theory
Emotional Expression
Universal Facial Expressions
Psychologist Paul Ekman identified seven basic...

