Self-Reported Wisdom and Happiness: An Empirical Investigation

Journal of Happiness Studies, 2013

Wisdom and emotional intelligence are increasingly popular topics among happiness scholars. Despite their conceptual overlap, no empirical research has examined their interrelations and incremental predictive validities. The aims of this study were (a) to investigate associations between multidimensional conceptualizations of self-reported wisdom (Ardelt in Res Aging 25 : 275-324, 2003, 2004) and emotional intelligence (Davies et al. in J Pers Soc Psychol 75:989-1015) and (b) to examine the joint effects of self-reported wisdom and emotional intelligence on dimensions of happiness (life satisfaction as well as positive and negative affect). Data were provided by two samples: 175 university students and 400 online workers. Correlations between a composite wisdom score, a composite emotional intelligence score, and happiness facets were positive and moderate in size. Regression analyses showed that the effects of composite wisdom on life satisfaction and positive affect (but not negative affect) became weaker and non-significant when composite emotional intelligence was controlled. Additional analyses including three dimensions of the self-reported wisdom (cognitive, reflective, and affective wisdom) and four dimensions of emotional intelligence (self-and others-emotions appraisal, use and regulation of emotion) revealed a more differentiated pattern of results. Implications for future research on wisdom and happiness are discussed.

The Cambridge Handbook of Wisdom, 2019

The literature that has investigated the association between wisdom and well-being has yielded conflicting results ranging from positive associations through zero to even negative associations. After defining and explaining the central constructs, the chapter will provide a review of this literature. While it seems intuitively right that wisdom should be positively associated with well-being, researchers have argued that the association depends on the type of definition and measurement of wisdom and well-being. The chapter will review and discuss the association between wisdom and well-being as a function of the notion and assessment of these constructs and will interpret the seemingly contradictory findings accordingly. Furthermore, the distinction between two types of positive personality development, that is, adjustment and growth, is used to help clarify the relationship between wisdom and subjective and psychological wellbeing. We conclude with a discussion of directions for future research on wisdom and well-being.

2009

Measurement: Three Dimensional Wisdom Scale-cognitive: 14 items to measure understanding of life or the desire to know the truth.-reflective: 12 items to measure the ability to look at phenomena and events from different perspectives and to avoid subjectivity and projectios-affective: 13 items to measure the presence of positive emotions and behavior toward others

Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences

Objectives. The relationships between wisdom and age and between wisdom and mental health are complex with empirical results often inconsistent. We used a lifespan sample and broad, psychometrically sound measures of wisdom and mental health to test for possible age trends in wisdom and its subcomponents and the relationship between wisdom and hedonic and eudaimonic aspects of well-being.

The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, 2016

Several studies have shown that wisdom, measured as an integration of cognitive, reflective, and compassionate dimensions, is positively related to subjective well-being in old age. This study investigated whether wisdom might be particularly beneficial for people at the end of life, when extrinsic means to increase well-being largely disappear, and whether the association between wisdom and well-being is mediated by mastery and purpose in life. Samples of 156 older community residents (M = 71 years) and 41 older hospice patients and nursing home residents (M = 77 years) were analyzed, using a moderated and mediated path model. (a) Wisdom was positively related to subjective well-being in the later years, even after controlling for physical health, socioeconomic status, financial situation, social involvement, age, gender, race, and marital status. (b) The association between wisdom and well-being was significantly stronger in the nursing home and hospice sample than the community s...

Nature Communications | (2024)15:6375, 2024

Wisdom is the hallmark of social judgment, but how people across cultures recognize wisdom remains unclear—distinct philosophical traditions suggest different views of wisdom’s cardinal features. We explore perception of wise minds across 16 socio-economically and culturally diverse convenience samples from 12 countries. Participants assessed wisdom exemplars, non-exemplars, and themselves on 19 socio-cognitive characteristics, subsequently rating targets’ wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Analyses reveal two positively related dimensions—Reflective Orientation and Socio-Emotional Awareness. These dimensions are consistent across the studied cultural regions and interact when informing wisdom ratings: wisest targets—as perceived by participants—score high on both dimensions, whereas the least wise are not reflective but moderately socio-emotional. Additionally, individuals view themselves as less reflective but more socio-emotionally aware than most wisdom exemplars. Our findings expand folk psychology and social judgment research beyond the Global North, showing how individuals perceive desirable cognitive and socio-emotional qualities, and contribute to an understanding of mind perception.

Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2003

This study investigated the connection between wisdom as a body of expert knowledge about the meaning and conduct of life and indicators of affective, motivational, and interpersonal functioning. Structural equation analyses showed that individuals higher on wisdom-related knowledge reported (a) higher affective involvement combined with lower negative and pleas-ant feelings, (b) a value orientation that focused conjointly on other-enhancing values and personal growth combined with a lesser tendency toward values revolving around a pleasurable life, and (c) a preference for cooperative conflict management strategies combined with a lower tendency to adopt submissive, avoidant, or dominant strategies. These findings corroborate the theoretical notion that wisdom involves affective modulation and complexity rather than the predominant seeking of pleasure and also a joint motivational commitment to developing the potential of oneself and that of others.

The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 2014

Objectives. The relationships between wisdom and age and between wisdom and mental health are complex with empirical results often inconsistent. We used a lifespan sample and broad, psychometrically sound measures of wisdom and mental health to test for possible age trends in wisdom and its subcomponents and the relationship between wisdom and hedonic and eudaimonic aspects of well-being.

Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, 2021

In philosophy, it is widely held that a person is practically wise if and only if the person knows how to live well, and that a person knows how to live well only if the person knows what is good or important for well-being, or what is a worthwhile end to pursue (c.f. Nozick 1989; Tiberius 2008; Swartwood 2013; Grimm 2015). The question that remains is: What is it that contributes to or constitutes wellbeing known by a wise person? Not all theories of wisdom 1 address this question. Using Stephen Grimm's terminologies, a theory of wisdom is fully articulated "if it not only invokes notions like 1 In this paper, the term "wisdom" means practical wisdom, unless otherwise specified.

Philosophers and behavioral scientists refer to wisdom as unbiased reasoning that guides one toward a good and virtuous life. However, major instruments developed to test wisdom are by default influenced by psychological bias. We examined whether shifting the focus from global, de-contextualized reports to state-focused reports about concrete situations provides a less biased method to assess wise thinking (e.g., intellectual humility, recognition of uncertainty and change, consideration of the broader context at hand and perspectives of others, integration of these perspectives/compromise). To this end, we introduce a state-focused measure of wise thinking. Results of a large-scale psychometric investigation (N = 3,982) revealed that the new measure is reliable and is not subject to psychological biases (attribution bias, bias blind spot, self-deception, impression management), whereas global wisdom reports are subject to such biases. Moreover, state-focused scores were positively related to indices of living well (e.g., adaptive emotion regulation, mindfulness) and to prosocial behavior. We discuss theoretical and practical implications for research on wisdom, judgment and decision making, well-being, and prosociality.