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 knowledge construction. Two potential facilitators are objectivism and gratitude, and two potential inhibitors are dogmatism and low self-esteem.
Intellectual humility predicts COVID‐19 preventive practices through greater adoption of data‐driven information and feelings of responsibility
by Young‐Ju Ryu, Irmak Olcaysoy Okten, Anton Gollwitzer, & Gabriele Oettingen
Two studies found that intellectually humble individuals were more likely to follow preventive health measures during COVID-19, such as social distancing, handwashing, and mask-wearing. This relationships was driven by the propensity of intellectually humble people to adopt information from data-driven sources and their heightened sense of responsibility for COVID-19 outcomes. These findings were observed consistently over time and highlight the importance of intellectual humility in making informed decisions during public health crises.
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