The «Curse of Knowledge» describes a widespread cognitive bias. We all tend to pursue our own communicative goals when telling stories. At first glance, this seems completely reasonable to us, but paradoxically, it is often the reason for failing to achieve our communicative goals.

This is because sender-oriented communication does not address the recipients enough. They then simply switch off at the communicative level because the story does not touch them or because they cannot relate to it.

Origin

«Curse of Knowledge» is a very unfortunate term for this effect. It has only become established because it has been popularized by the book 'The Curse of Knowledge in Economic Settings' (Olivola, C. Y., & Fischhoff, B. – 2003).

It suggests that this bias has something to do with knowledge and is practiced primarily by people with a high level of expertise. However, this is not an essential characteristic of this bias. On the contrary, people who know a lot are often aware of this widespread effect and take it into account in their work. This bias is much more commonly found among people with limited understanding and knowledge (see also: Dunning-Kruger Effect).

I therefore prefer to refer to this bias as Sender-oriented Communication Bias, which is actually based on two other underlying biases:

The False Consensus Effect

This effect describes the tendency to believe that one's own beliefs and behaviors are more widespread and more common than they actually are. As a result, communicators overestimate how well their messages are received and understood by their audience.

As a result, the plausibility and effectiveness of personal arguments are completely overestimated. Just because something seems completely plausible to you based on your own knowledge and experience does not necessarily mean that it is also valid for others. They may have a completely different background of experience and knowledge and may not be able to follow the line of reasoning.

This effect is particularly strong when the storytellers live in a so-called "bubble", i.e. in a world or environment that seems normal to them, but is rather unknown to the recipients. More about the: False Consensus Effect

Projection Error

The Projection Error refers to the tendency to transfer one's own views, inclinations and thoughts to others with whom one feels connected. This leads to the fact that communicating persons assume that their listeners find certain topics just as interesting as they do themselves. However, this is not always the case. Recipients often have a different communication and language style or a completely different vocabulary, which is not taken into account.

As a result, senders who assume that their listeners have the necessary interest and are familiar with the communicative context present their stories as they would like to hear them themselves and not as they should be heard in order to be optimally understood.

In doing so, they often get lost in details that are important to them personally, but whose relevance cannot be understood by the listeners. As already indicated, this often leads to disinterest, rejection or breakdown of communication.

As I said, we all tend to fall prey to this bias because it is very difficult to put aside our own subjectivity. However, professional communicators find it helpful to adopt a consistently recipient-oriented perspective when planning and developing a story.

 

The diagram illustrates the conflict between sender and user orientation.The diagram illustrates the conflict between sender and user orientation.
The diagram illustrates the conflict between sender and user orientation. This is why, in almost all projects, UX designers have to push their stakeholders to adopt a user-centered perspective so that their solution actually meets the interest of the target groups.

 

Application in UX and UI design

This effect can also be transferred to visual communication. Designers should therefore not assume that their visual style is universally valid or will always be positively received by the target groups of a project.

Icons or labels that a designer intuitively understands because they have been dealing with visual communication for a long time may be completely incomprehensible to non-designers. UX/UI designers are therefore well advised not to overestimate their own assumptions and preferences, but to always check them with user research and user-centered design methods.

Jakob Nielsen once began a talk aimed at UX/UI designers with the sentences:

1. You are not your user
2. Your user is not a designer

Designers usually know far too much and are unable to evaluate objectively or empathetically what it feels like to have no knowledge of the subject matter. They are all too often subject to the Curse of Knowledge.

That is why it is important to conduct user research and user testing to develop products that meet the expectations and knowledge level of the users, not our own.

Likewise, storytellers should ask themselves what their target group might be interested in, what style of language they prefer, what prior knowledge they can be assumed to have, and what absolutely requires further explanation in order to be understood. This is the only way to avoid a breakdown in communication or the target group turning away disinterested.

Impact on the User Experience

strong

Further information