Aerin Ellard, FCLC 2026

Major: Psychology and English

Bio: Aerin is currently a junior, majoring in Psychology and English. Outside of class, she works as a research assistant and a babysitter. Her academic interests are varied, and include the politics of language, creative nonfiction, and narrative approaches to the study of political extremism. She is excited by accessible scholarship that asks difficult questions. In her free time, Aerin enjoys listening to live music, practicing martial arts, and drinking chamomile tea.

Title of Research: Intellectual Humility in the American Professoriate

Mentor: Kathryn Reklis, Theology

Abstract: Intellectual humility (IH) is defined as an individual’s recognition of their own intellectual limitations. Previous scholarship prioritizes IH in demographics with epistemological authority, during interactions that involve ideological differences. This project investigates how American professors conceptualize and respond to Christian anti-intellectualism in order to better understand what conditions produce IH among those often classified as "intellectuals." It is the first study to explore IH qualitatively.

Thirty-seven professors employed by a US college or university participated in the survey. Participants received three prompts, each introducing two fictional characters: a professor and an anti-intellectual (AIC). Each AIC expressed a distinct anti-intellectual position: a renunciation of the COVID-19 vaccine as “demonic,” a rejection of medical treatment in favor of prayer, and a belief in divine intervention against climate change. Through written responses, participants imagined how the characters might interact.

Thematic analysis revealed similarities and differences between prompts. The first AIC’s anti-vaccine sentiments were often attributed to their intellectual inferiority. The second AIC was described more neutrally, their rejection of medical treatment deemed a personal decision. The third AIC elicited the most argumentation: participants used rational and biblical reasoning to urge climate action. Common themes across the dataset included essentialist characterizations, a refusal to engage, attempts at persuasion, and efforts to understand the AIC.

Findings suggest that whether American professors demonstrate IH while engaging with Christian anti-intellectualism may be shaped by the content and context of the anti-intellectual belief.  These results indicate the need for further research into IH’s dynamic dimensions.