Despite a growing body of knowledge on wisdom, little is known about how wisdom is socially transmitted between people. In the current study, we investigated the possibility that grandparents use intergenerational storytelling to transmit wisdom they have gained about life to their grandchildren. In a sample of grandchildren and grandparents collected in Austria and Canada, we used narrative and questionnaire methods to examine: (a) grandparents’ reasons for intergenerational storytelling, (b) attitudes and behaviors related to storytelling, and (c) the perceived developmental impact of storytelling. Results indicated that grandparents primarily used storytelling for social purposes (i.e., to reminiscence, build intimacy, and to entertain their grandchildren), but they also quite frequently used storytelling to teach and transmit wisdom. Most grandchildren (60%) reported learning a life lesson from their grandparents’ stories. Using narrative examples, this talk will illustrate common themes in the life lessons learned by grandchildren from intergenerational stories.
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