Psychology of Wisdom

Abstract

Psychological wisdom research is a relatively young and fast-growing field. This article first gives an overview of the history of psychological wisdom research and work on laypeople's theories of wisdom. Then, psychological conceptions of wisdom are reviewed, and approaches to measuring wisdom are described. The relationships of wisdom to age, including developmental theories of wisdom, and to other psychological constructs such as intelligence and personality are reviewed, followed by approaches to fostering wisdom in the short and long run. Finally, new developments and important open questions are discussed.