Intellectual humility and openness to the opposing view

Intellectual humility and openness to the opposing view. Tenelle Porter & Karina Schumann. Self and Identity, Volume 17, 2018 - Issue 2, https://doi.org/10.1080/15298868.2017.1361861

Abstract: Strong disagreements have stymied today’s political discourse. We investigate intellectual humility – recognizing the limits of one’s knowledge and appreciating others’ intellectual strengths – as one factor that can make disagreements more constructive. In Studies 1 and 2, participants with higher intellectual humility were more open to learning about the opposition’s views during imagined disagreements. In Study 3, those with higher intellectual humility exposed themselves to a greater proportion of opposing political perspectives. In Study 4, making salient a growth mindset of intelligence boosted intellectual humility, and, in turn, openness to opposing views. Results suggest that intellectual humility is associated with openness during disagreement, and that a growth mindset of intelligence may increase intellectual humility. Implications for current political polarization are discussed.

Keywords: Humility, open-mindedness, growth mindset, politics, disagreement