D039

Skeptical Openness

BD03 Decision, Judgment & Epistemics
Derived LayerMML-3

Version v1.2.4

Definition

A rare combination of strong critical filtering with willingness to investigate unconventional but plausible hypotheses.

Poles

Each HES element is a spectrum, not a category: the Low and High poles describe how it presents at its two extremes, while the Reference marks the typical, everyday middle. The poles map variation across the range — neither end is inherently better or worse.

Low Pole

Either credulous openness (low filter) or rigid skepticism (high filter, no exploration).

High Pole

Explores without gullibility: tests claims, demands method, and stays open to surprising truth.

Reference

Skeptical in public, curious in private; explores selectively but inconsistently.

Measure

Selectivity: ability to filter low-quality claims while not rejecting novel ones prematurely.
• Coverage: proportion of plausible unconventional claims actually tested.

Measuring Methods

Claim-evaluation tasks; quality-of-evidence scoring; review of “tested hypotheses” portfolio.

Empirical Anchor

Skeptical openness / balanced skepticism; critical thinking disposition (Facione, 2000); scientific thinking.

Notes

A key “anti-pseudoscience” composite: it protects exploration from naivety and skepticism from rigidity.

Citation

APA

Human Elements System. (2026). Skeptical Openness (HES Passport D039, v1.2.4). hestable.com. https://hestable.com/passport/D039

BibTeX

@misc{hes_D039, author = {{Human Elements System}}, title = {{Skeptical Openness}}, year = {2026}, note = {HES Passport D039, v1.2.4}, howpublished = {\url{https://hestable.com/passport/D039}} }