The "This Might Be A Stupid Question, But...." Thread

[Dazi]

But how would you get the snake out of the bottle once you got it outside?

You just remove the tape and pop off the end.

[hobish]

A recent survey determined that 97% of US drivers felt that they were "above average" drivers.     And why should who feels they are an "above average" driver lay out $$$$ for lessons for their kid?

Oh, please please do you have the source for that? Not that i doubt you; i definitely don't. Gish always says he is a better driver than most people on the road, and i always say Everyone thinks that. I would love to have actual numbers from a qualified source.

...I will Google, as well.

[Outdoor Girl]

I've often said that I would only give myself a 7 out of 10 and the fact that I'm a better driver than many of the people on the road scares the beejeebers out of me.

[Elfmama]

A recent survey determined that 97% of US drivers felt that they were "above average" drivers.     And why should who feels they are an "above average" driver lay out $$$$ for lessons for their kid?

Oh, please please do you have the source for that? Not that i doubt you; i definitely don't. Gish always says he is a better driver than most people on the road, and i always say Everyone thinks that. I would love to have actual numbers from a qualified source.

...I will Google, as well.

No, I'm afraid not.  I think it was a news report I read several years ago, on a site that no longer exists.

[RingTailedLemur]

But how would you get the snake out of the bottle once you got it outside?

You just remove the tape and pop off the end.

Ah yes, sorry.  Brain blip.

[Dazi]

But how would you get the snake out of the bottle once you got it outside?

You just remove the tape and pop off the end.

Ah yes, sorry.  Brain blip.

Happens to the best of us.   

[Virg]

hobhish wrote:

"Oh, please please do you have the source for that? Not that i doubt you; i definitely don't. Gish always says he is a better driver than most people on the road, and i always say Everyone thinks that. I would love to have actual numbers from a qualified source."

The problem is that this study is just apocryphal, as no such study was ever done so nobody can cite it.  I just tell them it comes from the Institute where they figured out (in a different study, of course) that 84.7% of Internet statistics are made up on the spot.

Virg

[Bexx27]

hobhish wrote:

"Oh, please please do you have the source for that? Not that i doubt you; i definitely don't. Gish always says he is a better driver than most people on the road, and i always say Everyone thinks that. I would love to have actual numbers from a qualified source."

The problem is that this study is just apocryphal, as no such study was ever done so nobody can cite it.  I just tell them it comes from the Institute where they figured out (in a different study, of course) that 84.7% of Internet statistics are made up on the spot.

Virg

The 97% (or 93% as I've heard it) statistic seems to be apocryphal, but the phenomenon is real. The cognitive bias in which the vast majority of people tend to rate themselves as above average in any number of domains is called illusory superiority, the Dunning-Kruger Effect, or the Lake Woebegone Effect. Some studies have looked specifically at driving and found that anywhere from 60-90% of people consider themselves above average drivers, either in certain ways (e.g., speed, number of violations) or overall. Here are a few references:

Svenson, O. (1981). Are we all less risky and more skillful than our fellow drivers?. Acta Psychologica, 47(2), 143–148.

McCormick, I. A., Walkey, F. H., & Green, D. E. (1986). Comparative perceptions of driver ability— A confirmation and expansion. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 18(3), 205–208.

Delhomme, P. (1991). Comparing one's driving with others': Assessment of ability and frequency of offenses. Evidence for a superior conformity of self-bias? Accident Analysis & Prevention, 23(6), 493-508.

Bathurst, J., & Walton, D. (1998). An Exploration of the Perceptions of the Average Driver’s Speed Compared to Perceived Driver Safety and Driving Skill. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 30, 821-830.

[Onyx_TKD]

hobhish wrote:

"Oh, please please do you have the source for that? Not that i doubt you; i definitely don't. Gish always says he is a better driver than most people on the road, and i always say Everyone thinks that. I would love to have actual numbers from a qualified source."

The problem is that this study is just apocryphal, as no such study was ever done so nobody can cite it.  I just tell them it comes from the Institute where they figured out (in a different study, of course) that 84.7% of Internet statistics are made up on the spot.

Virg

The 97% (or 93% as I've heard it) statistic seems to be apocryphal, but the phenomenon is real. The cognitive bias in which the vast majority of people tend to rate themselves as above average in any number of domains is called illusory superiority, the Dunning-Kruger Effect, or the Lake Woebegone Effect. Some studies have looked specifically at driving and found that anywhere from 60-90% of people consider themselves above average drivers, either in certain ways (e.g., speed, number of violations) or overall. Here are a few references:

Svenson, O. (1981). Are we all less risky and more skillful than our fellow drivers?. Acta Psychologica, 47(2), 143–148.

McCormick, I. A., Walkey, F. H., & Green, D. E. (1986). Comparative perceptions of driver ability— A confirmation and expansion. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 18(3), 205–208.

Delhomme, P. (1991). Comparing one's driving with others': Assessment of ability and frequency of offenses. Evidence for a superior conformity of self-bias? Accident Analysis & Prevention, 23(6), 493-508.

Bathurst, J., & Walton, D. (1998). An Exploration of the Perceptions of the Average Driver’s Speed Compared to Perceived Driver Safety and Driving Skill. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 30, 821-830.

It seems like counting people who consider themselves above average only in "certain ways" in that statistic kind of makes it worthless. While I have no idea what the actual percentage would be, it seems quite possible for the majority of a population to be above average in at least one aspect of a complex task. Say you have a task that can be divided into parts A, B, and C. If 30% of the population are really good at A (but poor at B and/or C), 30% are really good at B (but poor at A and/or C), and 30% are really good at C (but poor at A and/or B), then you could legitimately have 90% of the population who are above average "in certain ways," even if those 90% are lousy at the overall, combined task. Consistently appropriate use of your headlights doesn't make you an above average driver overall, but it might legitimately make you above average in safe headlight operation. Lumping the two statistics together (above average driver overall vs. above average driver in "certain ways" seems absurd).

[Bexx27]

hobhish wrote:

"Oh, please please do you have the source for that? Not that i doubt you; i definitely don't. Gish always says he is a better driver than most people on the road, and i always say Everyone thinks that. I would love to have actual numbers from a qualified source."

The problem is that this study is just apocryphal, as no such study was ever done so nobody can cite it.  I just tell them it comes from the Institute where they figured out (in a different study, of course) that 84.7% of Internet statistics are made up on the spot.

Virg

The 97% (or 93% as I've heard it) statistic seems to be apocryphal, but the phenomenon is real. The cognitive bias in which the vast majority of people tend to rate themselves as above average in any number of domains is called illusory superiority, the Dunning-Kruger Effect, or the Lake Woebegone Effect. Some studies have looked specifically at driving and found that anywhere from 60-90% of people consider themselves above average drivers, either in certain ways (e.g., speed, number of violations) or overall. Here are a few references:

Svenson, O. (1981). Are we all less risky and more skillful than our fellow drivers?. Acta Psychologica, 47(2), 143–148.

McCormick, I. A., Walkey, F. H., & Green, D. E. (1986). Comparative perceptions of driver ability— A confirmation and expansion. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 18(3), 205–208.

Delhomme, P. (1991). Comparing one's driving with others': Assessment of ability and frequency of offenses. Evidence for a superior conformity of self-bias? Accident Analysis & Prevention, 23(6), 493-508.

Bathurst, J., & Walton, D. (1998). An Exploration of the Perceptions of the Average Driver’s Speed Compared to Perceived Driver Safety and Driving Skill. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 30, 821-830.

It seems like counting people who consider themselves above average only in "certain ways" in that statistic kind of makes it worthless. While I have no idea what the actual percentage would be, it seems quite possible for the majority of a population to be above average in at least one aspect of a complex task. Say you have a task that can be divided into parts A, B, and C. If 30% of the population are really good at A (but poor at B and/or C), 30% are really good at B (but poor at A and/or C), and 30% are really good at C (but poor at A and/or B), then you could legitimately have 90% of the population who are above average "in certain ways," even if those 90% are lousy at the overall, combined task. Consistently appropriate use of your headlights doesn't make you an above average driver overall, but it might legitimately make you above average in safe headlight operation. Lumping the two statistics together (above average driver overall vs. above average driver in "certain ways" seems absurd).

I was trying to be succint while not implying that all the research actually asked about overall driving skill. Different studies ask different questions. The overall trend is that people rate themselves above average on any driving skill they're asked to rate, whether it's headlight use, adherence to the speed limit, or whatever -- not only general ability.

[Piratelvr1121]

Okay, I know an Anglophile is someone who loves all things British, but is there a word for someone who loves all things Irish? Or Celtic in general?

[squeakers]

Okay, I know an Anglophile is someone who loves all things British, but is there a word for someone who loves all things Irish? Or Celtic in general?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibernophile

[Piratelvr1121]

Thank you!

[MerryCat]

I don't know if this is a stupid question, but I need help identifying a plant I read about a while ago that I can't remember the name of. It's from Brazil, small, 6-8 inches, I think, forms a round mound of shorter grass-like leaves with a single tall flower spike coming out of it. The flower spike is topped with a ball of small, daisy-like flowers that look metallic bronze before they're open. You'd think that with that detail I'd be able to name the darn thing, but I just can't. It's driving me crazy!

[guihong]

I don't know if this is a stupid question, but I need help identifying a plant I read about a while ago that I can't remember the name of. It's from Brazil, small, 6-8 inches, I think, forms a round mound of shorter grass-like leaves with a single tall flower spike coming out of it. The flower spike is topped with a ball of small, daisy-like flowers that look metallic bronze before they're open. You'd think that with that detail I'd be able to name the darn thing, but I just can't. It's driving me crazy!

No idea, but is it any of these?

http://utahpictures.com/brazil/Brazilian_Flowers.php