Older but not wiser? The relationship between age and wisdom

摘要

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.