Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/196780 
Year of Publication: 
2019
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 12282
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
'Bullshitters' are individuals who claim knowledge or expertise in an area where they actually have little experience or skill. Despite this being a well-known and widespread social phenomenon, relatively few large-scale empirical studies have been conducted into this issue. This paper attempts to fill this gap in the literature by examining teenagers' propensity to claim expertise in three mathematics constructs that do not really exist. Using Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data from nine Anglophone countries and over 40,000 young people, we find substantial differences in young people's tendency to bullshit across countries, genders and socio-economic groups. Bullshitters are also found to exhibit high levels of overconfidence and believe they work hard, persevere at tasks, and are popular amongst their peers. Together this provides important new insight into who bullshitters are and the type of survey responses that they provide.
Subjects: 
PISA
overclaiming
bullshit
JEL: 
I24
J16
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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