The psychological roots of intellectual humility: The role of intelligence and cognitive flexibility

Trevor W. Robbins,Peter Jason Rentfrow,Leor Zmigrod,Sharon Zmigrod

doi:10.1016/j.paid.2019.01.016

Trevor W. Robbins, Peter Jason Rentfrow + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2019.01.016

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Abstract

Intellectual humility has been identified as a character virtue that allows individuals to recognize their own potential fallibility when forming and revising attitudes. Intellectual humility is therefore essential for avoiding confirmation biases when reasoning about evidence and evaluating beliefs. The present study investigated the cognitive correlates of intellectual humility. The results indicate that cognitive flexibility, measured with objective behavioural assessments, predicted intellectual humility. Intelligence was also predictive of intellectual humility. These relationships were particularly pronounced for the facets of intellectual humility associated with respect for opposing opinions and openness to revising one's attitudes in light of new evidence. The data revealed an interaction: high cognitive flexibility is particularly valuable for intellectual humility in the context of low intelligence, and reciprocally, high intelligence was beneficial for intellectual humility in the context of low flexibility. Notably, there was evidence of a compensatory effect, as participants who scored highly on both flexibility and intelligence did not exhibit superior intellectual humility relative to individuals who scored highly on only one of these cognitive traits. These findings are suggestive of dual psychological pathways to intellectual humility; either cognitive flexibility or intelligence are sufficient for high intellectual humility, but neither is necessary.

Highlights

In an era of polarization, fake news, and the wide spread of misinformation, there is a strong public need for an understanding of how citizens can inoculate themselves against deception and inaccurate information
Age was not significantly correlated with cognitive flexibility measured with the alternate uses task (AUT) (r = 0.06, p = .521), cognitive flexibility measured with the Verbal Fluency task (VF) task (r = 0.011, p = .908), fluid intelligence measured with Raven's SPM (r = 0.037, p = .703), or with the comprehensive intellectual humility score (r = 0.056, p = .567)
The present study examined the relationships between intellectual humility and objectively-assessed cognitive flexibility and fluid intelligence

Summary

Introduction

In an era of polarization, fake news, and the wide spread of misinformation, there is a strong public need for an understanding of how citizens can inoculate themselves against deception and inaccurate information. The capacity to critically evaluate information in nonbiased ways requires intellectual humility – the understanding of one's limitations and biases when making evidence-based decisions. Intellectual humility allows us to avoid psychological tendencies to overlook evidence and confirm prior beliefs. Intellectual humility has been defined as “recognizing that a particular personal belief may be fallible, accompanied by an appropriate attentiveness to limitations in the evidentiary basis of that belief and to one's own limitations in obtaining and evaluating relevant information” (Leary et al, 2017). Research on the psychological roots of intellectual humility has been primarily the concern of social and developmental psychology

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