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.
To spark collaborative discussion of these topics, philosopher Walter Sinnott-Armstrong (Duke University) and social psychologist Deb Mashek (Myco Consulting) started the Development of Intellectual Humility Virtual Research Network (VRN) with 12 scholar participants (Grant 62200). In the current $234k proposal, PLs Sinnott-Armstrong and Mashek seek to build upon the momentum generated by the VRN by launching a request for proposals (RFP) for pilot subgrants that seek to address one of four big questions surrounding the development of IH:
(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?
(4) How can we intervene to increase and shape IH in children and adolescents?
The project team will award 6-10 pilot subgrants (between $10k and $20k per network member, for a total of $173,811 in awards) to a selection of the network members. These 12- to 16-month pilot subgrants will provide network members with the opportunity to move their ideas about the development of IH from the prototyping stage to the piloting stage (i.e., empirically testing their assumptions, theories, and methods related to the development of IH). The project team will also hold three meetings with the group of subgrantees, facilitating continued cross-lab and cross-discipline conversations about the development of IH beyond the final meeting of the VRN.
