Consecuencias del Efecto Dunning–Kruger en los estudiantes: una revisión sistemática (2021 – 2025)

Abstract

The Dunning–Kruger Effect (DKE) is a cognitive bias that leads individuals to make misguided decisions that compromise both their present and their future. Against this backdrop, the overarching aim of the study is to describe the consequences of the DKE in students at different academic levels. Adopting a qualitative, interpretive, exploratory, and descriptive approach, the research follows a non-experimental, cross-sectional design and applies the PRISMA (2020) protocol to conduct a systematic review of the scientific literature. To address the research question and objective, 20 scholarly articles published between 2021 and 2025 were analyzed—seven indexed in Scopus and thirteen in Web of Science. The study identifies nine categories that elucidate how the DKE affects students: (1) metacognitive miscalibration and the illusion of competence; (2) difficulties in self-regulated learning; (3) affective-motivational impacts; (4) behavioral repercussions; (5) cognitive effects; (6) academic outcomes; (7) academic and professional trajectories; (8) social and contextual dimensions; and (9) pedagogical and institutional factors. The principal conclusion is that the DKE undermines students’ learning processes, compelling educational leaders to devise strategies to prevent and mitigate its influence. The main limitation lies in the restricted access to only two databases—Scopus and Web of Science—highlighting the need to expand future research by incorporating additional databases