Who knows who is wise? Self and peer ratings of wisdom

Abstract

Objectives. This study investigated relationships between three measures of wisdom: self-ratings, peer ratings, and a self-report scale. We expected to find a zero or negative correlation between the self-rating and the average peer rating and low positive correlations of both to the self-report scale. We also tested whether there would be more convergence among measures in the top scorers.Method. A total of 179 members of 17 university departments were rated by their department colleagues with respect to wisdom; about half of them also rated themselves and filled out a wisdom self-report scale (Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale [3D-WS]; Ardelt, M. (2003)).Results. There were no significant relationships among the three measures of wisdom, neither in the total sample nor among the top scorers.Discussion. Depending on the focus of research, peer ratings may be a more suitable measure of wisdom than self-report scales or performance measures. © 2012 The Author.