Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.5559/di.35.4.04
Intellectual Humility During Late Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: The Role of Secure Attachment and Identity Development
Ina Reić Ercegovac
; University of Split, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Split, Croatia
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* Corresponding author.
Abstract
The importance of intellectual humility is rising rapidly due to the exposure of young people to (mis)information and algorithm driven digital environments that promote homogenous content and beliefs, thus potentially reducing critical thinking. The purpose of the article was to shift the focus from exclusively cognitive processes and correlates of intellectual humility to other key developmental concepts that are theoretically grounded both in attachment theory and in conceptualisations of identity development during late adolescence and emerging adulthood. Participants, in addition to providing general demographic information, completed several self-report instruments. The results showed that attachment security and identity dimensions significantly contributed to explaining individual differences in
intellectual humility. Mediation analyses examining the role of identity dimensions in the relationship between attachment
security and intellectual humility confirmed that attachment security significantly predicts intellectual humility and that this relationship is partially mediated by commitment, but not exploration.
Keywords
late adolescence; emerging adulthood; intellectual humility; attachment; identity development
Hrčak ID:
352973
URI
Publication date:
4.11.2026.
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