McMusing: Derailed by Confidence

"They will always listen to the confident voice over the thoughtful voice."

Photo by Cherrydeck on Unsplash

During a conversation with a friend, she mentioned a statement she had read somewhere but couldn’t remember where. “They will always listen to the confident voice over the thoughtful voice.” I was intrigued and eventually found the following quote on Linkedin:

There were those who disagreed with the post and if interested you can read the comments here. They mentioned valid points, but what interested me most was how the quote described a situation in a Psychology 101 course I taught at the college level several years ago.

I inherited the course syllabus, text, and quizzes. I disliked the quizzes which seemed more intent on tricking students than in evaluating if they understood the content. Still, I thought they might be useful for discussion purposes. So, I came up with a plan.

The students took the quiz at the beginning of class. Then, using different colored pens we began the grading process. The students read the questions one by one by the students and then gave their answer with an explanation as why they thought it was right. This was a great motivation for reading the material! Students could discuss the answer and then the anyone who had different answers could either keep their answer (full credit if correct), change their answer (half credit if correct or no credit if wrong).

I interspersed the lectures with the answers to the quiz questions and generally students gained points in the process. There were exceptions and I eventually realized that they often changed correct answers when one male student adamantly defended his answers—which were often incorrect. I was surprised at how many confident students who had studied and knew the answer changed their answers under this pressure.

There was one student who never lost a point in this way. Her explanations of the correct answer were quietly stated with such perfection that I often was at a loss for how to add much more with my lecture points. She often had her answers disputed by this individual but never caved to the pressure.

I decided to address the situation by asking the students why they believed they changed correct answers to wrong answers. There was a lively discussion that included many reasons but it eventually became clear that they had been swayed by the most confident voice in the room—even when that individual was wrong more times than not (and had not studied as thoroughly as they had). I appreciated that they owned their responsibility and did not place blame on the confident—but wrong—voice that was convinced of his answers. They agreed that it was a great psychology lesson on the subject of peer pressure.

In truth, the student wasn’t the only one who had been convincing about wrong answers and everyone seemed good-natured about the discussion—except this student. Even though the students did not place blame on him, he became irate and stormed from the class saying he was going to go talk to the Dean. He made an appointment and I was called to explain the situation before the meeting took place. My unconventional teaching methods sometimes required explanation. The Dean agreed that I had handled the situation appropriately and had provided a great learning experience for the students. Phew.

If I remember correctly the student was given the choice to finish the semester or retake the course without charge with another professor and chose the latter. The rest of the class continued the quiz process and the student's grades on the quizzes improved.

Part of my doctoral work involved the study of power dynamics. The most confident voice is not quite the same. When mixed with a title, uniform, or professional attire (suits, lab coats, etc.) the confident voice can easily convince humans of things they would otherwise know to be incorrect. I have watched this happen time and time again. I always think back to this experience and wonder if the students absorbed the lessons in ways that made a difference in their lives.

One final note. There is a fine line between the voice of a confident person and the voice of a bully. The difference can be seen in the presence or lack of undergirding truth or knowledge that gives reason for confidence. Without that foundation, confidence turns into bullying. I would not have offered the option that the Dean chose to offer because the student was well on his way to failing the class anyway. Without the knowledge he needed to pass the class, he resorted to bullying. Sadly for him, he won.