PsyPost reports:

A new study published in The Journal of Positive Psychology indicates that people who score higher in intellectual humility tend to show less political and religious polarization — regardless of whether they are Republican, Democrat, Christian, or atheist. This link held across different measures, including both self-reported attitudes and behavioral indicators of hostility toward ideological outgroups, and often remained significant even after accounting for the strength of a person’s beliefs.

Intellectual humility refers to the recognition that one’s knowledge and understanding are limited. It involves a willingness to revise one’s views when presented with new evidence, the ability to separate personal identity from beliefs, and a respect for the perspectives of others. While it does not require abandoning one’s convictions, it emphasizes openness, curiosity, and a readiness to acknowledge that one could be wrong. Past research has tied intellectual humility to less ideological rigidity, more tolerance for opposing views, and a greater willingness to engage constructively with people who hold different beliefs.

In the United States, political and religious divisions are deeply intertwined, with each often reinforcing the other. Political polarization — particularly the “affective” kind, which combines disagreement with active dislike of the other side — has reached historically high levels. Religious polarization, though less studied, is also significant, contributing to mistrust and prejudice.

Because intellectual humility aligns closely with interventions shown to reduce polarization — such as promoting accurate perceptions of the outgroup and encouraging respectful intergroup contact — the researchers wanted to know whether its effects would be consistent across both political and religious divides. They also sought to determine whether these patterns held regardless of the specific group identities involved. [Continue reading…]