Yale Professor Ahn Woo-kyung Brings BTS Dance to Class, Shares Hilarious 'Fluency Illusion' Lesson on 'You Quiz on the Block'

On the latest episode of tvN’s variety show You Quiz on the Block, Yale University’s renowned psychology professor Ahn Woo-kyung captivated viewers by revealing how she incorporates BTS music videos into her lectures—much to her students’ delight.

During the broadcast on the 20th, Ahn Woo-kyung, the first Korean to become a tenured professor in Yale’s Department of Psychology and recipient of the prestigious 'Lex Hixon Teaching Prize'—awarded solely based on student evaluations—joined hosts Yoo Jae-suk and Jo Se-ho to share insights from her renowned classes.



When Yoo Jae-suk asked about her teaching style, Professor Ahn explained, “My lectures focus on how to think rationally, what can go wrong if we don’t, and how to develop better ways of thinking.”

Yoo Jae-suk continued, “I heard your classes are so popular that the 500-seat lecture hall is always packed, and students say your lessons are incredibly practical. There’s even a rumor you make students dance in class!”

Laughing, Professor Ahn shared, “I play a six-second clip from a BTS music video and tell students they’ll get a prize if they can copy it exactly. I play it ten times, and about 15 students confidently step up—but when they actually try, it’s a total mess.”

She continued, “The point of this experiment is to show that, in our minds, we think, ‘I could do that,’ but when we actually try, it’s much harder. It’s the same with interviews—you think you’ll speak well, but when the moment comes, words don’t come out as smoothly. Even after 30 years of teaching, I still practice my entire 90-minute lecture out loud before class. You always have to try it yourself.”

Yoo Jae-suk nodded in agreement, adding, “Sometimes you think, ‘I’ve got this,’ just because you’re familiar with something, but when you start, you end up stumbling over your words.”



Professor Ahn described this phenomenon as the 'fluency illusion.' She explained, “Viewers often think, ‘I could do that, too,’ but they don’t see the hard work behind it. That’s why people fall into the fluency illusion, and even leave harsh comments online.”

She added, “The reason things often take much longer than we plan is also because of the fluency illusion. I once tried to groom my dog after watching a 40-minute tutorial video, but my family couldn’t even recognize the dog afterward,” she said, drawing laughter.

Yoo Jae-suk also mentioned, “I heard you often tell your students, ‘You’re going to make mistakes, too.’” Professor Ahn replied, “I want to show that anyone can make mistakes, and even good people can have biased thoughts. That’s what I try to teach.”

Photo Credit: tvN Broadcast Capture

This article is a translated version of the original Korean article published by Xportsnews, originally written by . This article was translated from Korean using AI-assisted tools and human review to deliver an accurate and culturally appropriate version for international readers.