Scientific Research

New Findings

Intellectual Humility and Responding to an Intellectual Failure: The Role of Self-improvement and Self-Enhancement Motives

by Young-Ju Ryu, Irmak Olcaysoy Okten, & Gabriele Oettingen

In two studies, we found that intellectually humble people are more likely to compare themselves with others in the face of intellectual failure with the motive to learn (i.e., self-improvement motivation), subsequently feeling better after the failure. Intellectual humility and the motive to protect their ego (i.e., self-enhancement motivation) had no relationship (in Study 1) or were negatively related (in Study 2).

Intellectual Humility Predicts Reductions in False Beliefs via Information Search

by Anton Gollwitzer, Irmak Olcaysoy Okten, & Gabriele Oettingen

Three longitudinal studies indicated that intellectual humble people significantly reduced their false beliefs (anti-vaccine belief, anti-mask belief, voter fraud belief) over time. This effect was mediated by information search for counter-evidence.

Identifying the Facilitators and Inhibitors of Intellectual Humility: Psychological Network Analysis Approach

by Jiin Jung, Irmak Olcaysoy Okten, Anton Gollwitzer, & Gabriele Oettingen

The current study identified potential antecedents of intellectual humility that are central in our psychological system of knoweldge construction. Two potential facilitators are objectivism and gratitude, and two potential inhibitors are dogmatism and low self-esteem.


2021 Intellectual Humility Virtual Symposium

May 7 symposium

  • Heather Battaly (UConnecticut): Countering servility through pride and humility

  • Alessandra Tanesini (Cardiff): Intellectual humility and the vices that oppose it

  • Marco Meyer (Hamburg) & Boudewijn de Bruin (Groningen): Epistemic vice and its effects

  • Katharina Helming (Warwick): A developmental approach to intellectual humility

May 8 symposium

  • Anton Gollwitzer (Yale): IH predicts reductions in conspiratorial thinking by encouraging information search

  • Aleksandra Cichocka (Kent): Narcissism and political beliefs - the perils and pitfalls of arrogance

  • Rick Hoyle (Duke): Intellectual humility in the face of truth, certainty, or conviction

  • Philip Pärnamets (Karolinska): Intellectual humility and attitudes during the COVID-19 pandemic

May 14 symposium

  • Stephan Lewandowsky (Bristol): Star networks and intellectual humility

  • Cailin O’Connor (UC-Irvine): Social Biases in network models

  • Jay Van Bavel (NYU): Affective and epistemic networks

May 15 symposium

  • Hal Roberts (Harvard): Network propaganda

  • Maria Baghramian (University College Dublin): Scepticism, intellectual humility and the value of distrust

  • Shauna Bowes (Emory University): Stepping outside the echo chamber: Is intellectual humility associated with less political myside bias?

  • Mark Alfano (Macquarie): The many-scales condensation of intellectual humility research and its expansion to the context of intergroup conflict