Intellectual Humility

 

Intellectual humility involves an appreciation of one’s own abilities and respect for the thoughts and capabilities of others. 

Intellectual humility may be general or specific.

Intellectual humility is a type of humility, which is a virtue found in religion and philosophy.

Those who are strong in intellectual humility engage respectfully with people who have other ideas. This type of humility contrasts with bragging, arrogant statements, challenging another’s intellectual ability, and overclaiming one’s own skills. However, publicly expressing intellectual humility by admitting mistakes or lack of knowledge is not always appreciated in certain contexts (e.g., see Porter & Cimpian, 2023).

Hodge et al. (2019) examined the relationship of religious intellectual humility (RHI) to spirituality and morality. The authors conceptualized RHI as an openness to various religious traditions. RHI was associated with openness to different religious views and beliefs as well as a liberal pattern of moral foundations. In contrast, spiritual humility predicted religious fundamentalism and a conservative pattern of moral foundations.

Specific intellectual humility

Hoyle et al. (2016) "define specific intellectual humility as the recognition that a particular personal view may be fallible, accompanied by an appropriate attentiveness to limitations in the evidentiary basis of that view and to one's own limitations in obtaining and evaluating information relevant to it." (p. 165)

References

Hodge, A. S., Melian, K., Hook, J. N., Gazaway, S., Zhang, H., Farrell, J. E., Mosher, D. K., Captari, L. E., Coomes, S. P., Van Tongeren, D. R., & Davis, D. E. (2019). Exploring religious intellectual humility and spiritual humility. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 38(1), 22–34.

Hoyle, R. H., Davisson, E. K., Diebels, K. J., & Leary, M. R. (2016). Holding specific views with humility: Conceptualization and measurement of specific intellectual humility. Personality and Individual Differences, 97, 165–172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2016.03.043

Porter, T., & Cimpian, A. (2023). A context’s emphasis on intellectual ability discourages the expression of intellectual humility. Motivation Science, 9(2), 120–130. https://doi.org/10.1037/mot0000289

Sutton, G. (2024). Assessing spirituality & religiosity: Beliefs, practices, values, & experiences. Springfield, MO, Sunflower.

Sutton, G. W. (2023, September 18) Intellectual humility. Assessment, Statistics, & Research. Retrieved from https://suttonpsychology.blogspot.com/2023/09/intellectual-humility.html

Worthington, E. J., & Allison, S. T. (2018). Heroic humility: What the science of humility can say to people raised on self-focus (pp. 91-103). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/0000079-006

Read more about Humility

Links to measures of humility

Specific Intellectual Humility Scale

Theistic Intellectual Humility Scale

See subscale H of HEXACO

Contrast with Workplace Arrogance Scale

Geoffrey W. Sutton, PhD is Emeritus Professor of Psychology. He retired from a clinical practice and was credentialed in clinical neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. His website is  www.suttong.com

 

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