Intellectual Humility Promotes Balanced and Integrated Understandings of Controversial Information in Multiple Documents

This study examined associations between individual differences and construction of mental representations of belief-consistent and belief-inconsistent claims. Individual differences included topic beliefs, confidence in belief accuracy, and interest, and the focal construct (intellectual humility, IH). College students read 36 claims concerning why social media was beneficial and/or detrimental to society, wrote an argumentative essay from memory about the topic, and rated belief change and whether they would share information consistent or inconsistent with their beliefs. Results showed that topic interest positively predicted perceptions of belief change. Regarding IH, readers who lacked intellectual overconfidence were more willing to share belief-consistent information, and more likely to adopt a balanced social media stance. Moreover, participants who more open to revising their viewpoints constructed more integrated essays (switching between oppositional stances). We discuss whether IH may help mitigate belief-consistency effects, and help facilitate the construction of more integrated mental models. Finally, teaching implications are discussed.