Intellectual Humility’s Links to Religion and Spirituality and the Role of Authoritarianism

A US community sample of 302 adults completed surveys suggesting small, negative links between intellectual humility and a variety of religious/spiritual variables as well as parabolic relationships with highest levels of intellectual humility occurring among those with low and high levels of religion/spirituality. Longitudinal analyses (N = 100) indicated a number of religious/spiritual variables predicted less intellectual humility 3 years later. Right-wing authoritarianism accounted for most of the links between religion/spirituality and intellectual humility, suggesting that it is not religion/spirituality per se, but rather sociopolitical attitudes about authority that is associated with decreases in intellectual humility. After controlling right-wing authoritarianism, a small relationship remained between intellectual humility and religious participation