Hypoconfidencia is a type of “Starting Point Learning Challenge” where the student is “under-confident”. While academic humility is good, sometimes the learner places too much value on external authority (textbook, teacher, etc.) that they believe that they can never produce correct answers on their own – hyperconfidencia is a case of that. Its counterpart (over confidence) is hyperconfidencia.
One symptom is a student constantly “second guessing” themselves, especially on multiple choice exams – stuck between an answer that they feel is correct based on their reasoning, and another that they think “sounds” like the right answer the teacher is looking for. Often found in students with perseverosis.
If left untreated, hypoconfidencia typically leads to a type of dyslogica called undergeneralization.
Example:
Teacher: So, what answer did you get before you looked at the multiple choice options?
Student: Well, I got it wrong. I got 7 and 19/15 (a mixed fraction).
Teacher: Why do you think you got it wrong?
Student: It wasn’t even an option – but there was an option that was 7 and 15/19, so I think that’s the correct answer. I must have made a mistake but that looks close.
Teacher: Do you know what step you made a mistake on?
Student: No.
Teacher: Looking over your work, there is no mistake – your answer is in fact correct. Before assuming you’ve made a mistake, let’s see if there’s another option that also equals the same answer you’ve got. There’s another option – 8 and 4/15 – which is the same number as 7 and 19/15 if you simplify that fraction. See, your original work was right!
The last line in the dialogue above is how the treatment might be initiated – showing the student that while double checking their work is important, it’s also important to have confidence in your own reasoning. Often times, students with hypoconfidencia don’t begin on a problem simply because it “looks hard” – so helping students walk through problems that “seem” hard, but showing them that they can get through those is a way to help them overcome their underconfidence.