Using Intellectual Humility to Navigate Existential Challenges

When people face existential challenges, who fights, who flees, and who flourishes? Most people experience a variety of concerns about unanswered questions regarding the meaning of life and existence. In the case of challenges to religious beliefs, some people fight (i.e., respond defensively), some flee (i.e., leave or deidentify from religion), and some flourish (i.e., experience spiritual growth and maturation). The proposed project will catalyze a research program on intellectual humility (IH) in the face of existential threats (e.g., facing chronic illness or other life-threatening situations, facing content or experiences that disrupt core beliefs within one’s religious worldview). Over 10 empirical studies, our proposed project will examine the role of IH when people confront existential challenges. These findings will lay the foundation for a larger project on IH within the existential domain.