{"id":93708,"date":"2023-02-24T16:49:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-24T20:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=93708"},"modified":"2023-02-27T16:12:49","modified_gmt":"2023-02-27T20:12:49","slug":"disadvantages-of-standardization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/disadvantages-of-standardization\/","title":{"rendered":"The Disadvantages of Standardization: 2 Key Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>What are the disadvantages of standardization? What are some examples of the negative effects of standardization?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Matthew Syed, the disadvantages of standardization are best understood in the context of homogeneity versus diversity. In <em>Rebel Ideas<\/em>, he argues that standardization forces us to conform to an average while diversity fosters collective intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read on to learn about the disadvantages of standardization, according to two examples from Syed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-disadvantages-of-standardization\">Disadvantages of Standardization<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the book <em>Rebel Ideas<\/em>, Matthew Syed discusses the dangers of homogeneity in the context of <em>standardization<\/em>\u2014the practice of designing systems to fit \u201caverage\u201d individuals rather than tailoring systems to individual differences. Syed argues that <strong>standardization forces us to conform to uniform molds, creating systems that are less effective<\/strong>. Although Syed considers various disadvantages of standardization, in this article, we\u2019ll examine two examples: airplane cockpits and dieting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: Standardization is also prevalent in the U.S. education system, with the <a href=\"https:\/\/learning.ccsso.org\/common-core-state-standards-initiative\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Common Core State Standards<\/a> outlining specific learning goals for students at each grade level. Although <a href=\"https:\/\/worldpopulationreview.com\/state-rankings\/common-core-states\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">46 states initially adopted Common Core<\/a> in 2011, it came under criticism from experts who argued that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/local\/309\/2019\/12\/03\/784224482\/common-core-higher-expectations-flat-results\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">it set unreasonable expectations for students in lower socioeconomic areas<\/a>, who face unique challenges. So, Syed\u2019s general criticism of standardization resonates with respect to Common Core: It doesn\u2019t acknowledge the diverse needs of students.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">#1: Standardization in Airplane Cockpits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To explain the disadvantages of standardization, Syed offers an example of airplane cockpits. He explains that around 1950, the U.S. Air Force experienced an unusually high rate of safety incidents. At the time, cockpits were standardized according to the dimensions of the average pilot, which determined chair height, separation between pedals, and so on.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lieutenant Gilbert Daniels, however, realized that few pilots conformed to this \u201caverage\u201d cockpit, because they aren\u2019t average across every dimension. To demonstrate, Daniels measured pilots across 10 dimensions to see how many are within the average range for <em>all <\/em>dimensions. Out of more than 4,000 pilots, zero fell within the average for all 10 dimensions. So, cockpits didn\u2019t fit any individual pilot perfectly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After engineers redesigned the cockpit so pilots could make individual adjustments, the incident rate dropped significantly. In turn, Syed concludes that <strong>adjusting for diversity among pilots optimized the cockpit design<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: In <a href=\"https:\/\/harperone.com\/9780062358387\/the-end-of-average\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The End of Average<\/em><\/a>, Todd Rose argues that Daniels\u2019s revelation about the disadvantages of standardization in cockpit design suggests a broader conclusion\u2014any system design around the \u201caverage individual\u201d is bound to fail. Consequently, Rose claims that the notion of \u201caverage\u201d in various domains, such as school grades and employee performance reviews, is counterproductive at best, and harmful at worst.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">#2: Standardization in Dietary Science<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To illustrate another disadvantage of standardization, Syed tells the story of Eren Segal, a scientist puzzled by advice on dieting. Upon reviewing the science, Segal found contradictory results; some studies, for example, claimed high-carb diets were optimal, while others endorsed low-carb diets.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Segal, however, realized a possible explanation for this disparity: Diet science focused on <em>average <\/em>responses to diets, rather than more personalized metrics. Consequently, diet studies didn\u2019t <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/consider-the-possibilities\/\">consider the possibility<\/a> that different diets are optimal for different individuals.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: According to experts, another reason for the abundance of conflicting diet advice stems from the source of diet studies. In particular, experts caution that many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthline.com\/health-news\/why-is-nutrition-advice-so-confusing-050115#How-Industry-Influences-Nutrition-Studies\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">diet studies are funded by the food industry itself<\/a>. Consequently, many researchers try to deliver results that benefit the industry that funds them, which encourages misleading conclusions.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To test this possibility, Segal designed a study in which one group ate white bread for a week, and one ate sourdough, after which they switched diets. The results showed that, <em>on average<\/em>, there was no difference in blood sugar levels whether participants ate white or sourdough bread. The <em>individual <\/em>results, however, revealed the opposite: Some participants had healthier blood sugar levels after consuming white bread, and others had healthier blood sugar levels after consuming sourdough. Relying on average data obscured this result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Later studies, according to Syed, confirmed Segal\u2019s suspicion: Individuals often respond poorly to standardized diets, because <strong>standardized diets don\u2019t recognize that dieting results differ significantly by individual<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Shortform note: In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.grandcentrallifeandstyle.com\/titles\/eran-segal-phd\/the-personalized-diet\/9781478918790\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>The Personalized Diet<\/em><\/a>, Segal and co-author Eran Elinav outline their further research on the value of diets tailored to <em>individuals<\/em> and the disadvantages of standardization in dietary advice. They also explain how people can test their own blood sugar responses to different foods, and create a diet best suited to their needs.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What are the disadvantages of standardization? What are some examples of the negative effects of standardization? According to Matthew Syed, the disadvantages of standardization are best understood in the context of homogeneity versus diversity. In Rebel Ideas, he argues that standardization forces us to conform to an average while diversity fosters collective intelligence. Read on to learn about the disadvantages of standardization, according to two examples from Syed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":16491,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,24],"tags":[917],"class_list":["post-93708","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-society","tag-rebel-ideas","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v24.3 (Yoast SEO v24.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Disadvantages of Standardization: 2 Key Examples - Shortform Books<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What are the disadvantages of standardization? 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