The Unskilled-and-Unaware Problem and Performance Feedbackin Monotonous, Easily Accustomed, and Repetitive Work

Abstract

Considering typing on the keyboard as a monotonous, easily accustomed, and repetitive(MEAR) task in modern society, we examine whether people predict their MEARwork performance accurately and confirm the effects of the performance feedback ontheir MEAR work predictions. The main findings are as follows. First, regardless ofthe performance levels of typing on keyboards, the absence of performance feedback ledto individuals’ overestimation of performance, indicating that the unskilled-and-unawareproblem did not arise in our task. Second, the feedback significantly improved the performancepredictions in our task. Specifically, the effects between one’s own and others’performance feedback did not vary at statistically significant levels.

Keywords: monotonous work, unskilled-and-unaware problem, performance feedback, repetitive work