Abstract
This article reviews the literature on the relationship between wisdom and aging. It opens with a discussion of different approaches to defining what wisdom is. Philosophical, implicit-theoretical, and explicit-theoretical approaches are considered. The article continues with a consideration of the main perspectives on the relationship between wisdom and aging. Then the article discusses implicit-theories data relevant to the development of wisdom. Next, it considers explicit-theories data relevant to this development. Finally, it draws conclusions. Individual differences in and situational variables relevant to the development of wisdom may overwhelm any trends represented by gross group averages.
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He also is director of the Center for the Psychology of Abilities, Competencies, and Expertise at Yale. He received the Ph.D. from Stanford in psychology, and is the recipient of five honorary degrees from five different countries. He is past-president of the American Psychological Association and past editor ofPsychological Bulletin andThe APA Review of Books: Contemporary Psychology.
Preparation of this article was supported by the W. T. Grant Foundation and by Award # 31-1992-701 from the United States Department of Education, Institute for Educational Sciences, as administered by the Temple University Laboratory for Student Success. Grantees undertaking such projects are encouraged to express freely their professional judgment. This article, therefore, does not necessarily represent the positions or the policies of the U.S. government, and no official endorsement should be inferred.
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Sternberg, R.J. Older but not wiser? The relationship between age and wisdom. Ageing International 30, 5–26 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02681005
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02681005