Development of Intellectual Humility Virtual Research Network

While there have been notable advances in our understanding of intellectual humility (IH), a number of important developmental questions remain underexplored. Understanding the etiology and developmental trajectory of IH will deepen and clarify the theoretical understanding of what intellectual humility is in younger as well as older people and enable researchers to theorize about and begin to examine intrapersonal, interpersonal, and other environmental conditions that hinder or contribute to the emergence of IH. In this $234k proposal, philosopher Walter Sinnott-Armstrong (Duke University) and social psychologist Deb Mashek (Myco Consulting) will lead an interdisciplinary virtual research network of 12 scholars seeking to address four big questions: (1) What is the nature of IH in young people?, (2) What is the developmental trajectory of IH?, (3) How do we measure IH at different stages of development?, and (4) How can we intervene to increase and shape IH in children and adolescents? The virtual research network will meet nine times over the course of ten months. Each meeting will feature a presentation of approximately 30-minutes followed by an hour for discussion and questions. Each participant will have the opportunity to present past, present, or planned work relevant to the four big questions. The project team will also distribute 12 $10,000 innovation awards to network members. These innovation awards will enable the members to explore new ideas and develop assessment prototypes suitable for children and adolescents. At the conclusion of the year-long network, participants will submit reflection papers addressing their perspective and progress on the four big questions. Using these papers and the meeting summaries, Dr. Sinnott-Armstrong and Dr. Mashek will write a public-facing, summary report identifying emergent themes and future directions for the field.