A study of the concept of wisdom in adults using personality traits

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D. in psychology and education of exceptional children, Social Welfare Organization, Rey, Tehran, Iran

2 MA. in general psychology, Social Welfare Organization, Rey, Tehran, Iran

3 MA. in psychology and education of exceptional children, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: Wisdom is not a new concept that nowadays can be regarded as being technically advanced in the information age, but wisdom is also associated with an implicit concept of “antiquity” which is apparently beyond its own time, knowledge and culture. The presented study aimed to examine the concept of wisdom in adults using personality traits.
 
Materials and Methods: The study consisted of 1016 individuals using the convenient sampling method with age range of 18-71 years (519 women and 497 men). A researcher-made questionnaire including 206 personality traits was used for data collection and exploratory factor analysis was used for data analysis.
 
Results: Factor analysis indicated three effective factors: self-centeredness, intellectuality, philanthropy. The results obtained from the present study indicated that the mean value of 2.49 for the first factor is less than the mean values of 5.62 and 5.46 for intellectuality and philanthropy, respectively.
 
Conclusion: The results of the present study revealed that wisdom is a multidimensional concept. In other words, wise people are also intellectual and philanthropic. In contrast, unwise people are those who are self-centered indicating traits associated with implacability.

Keywords


1. Mashayekhi M. [Its wisdom and happiness in compliance with the poetry of the poet Ferdowsi's Shahnameh and Persian and Arabic languages]. Comparative literature 2008; 3: 213-33. (Persian)
2. Sternberg R. [Training wisdom, intelligence, creativity and success]. Malek Mohammadi H. (translator). Tehran: Venus; 2015.(Persian)
3. Clayton V, Birren JE. The development of wisdom across the life span: A re-examination of an ancient topic. In: Baltes PB, Brim OG. (editors). Life-span development and behavior. New York: Academic Press; 1980: 103-35.
4. Holliday SG, Chandler MJ. Wisdom: Explorations in adult competence. New York: Karger; 1986.
5. Sternberg RJ. Implicit theories of intelligence, creativity, and wisdom. J Pers Social Psychol 1985; 49: 607-27.
6. Yang SY. Conceptions of wisdom among Taiwanese Chinese. J Cross-Cultur Psychol 2001; 32: 662-80.
7. Sarmad G, Bazargan, AS, Hijazi A. [Research methods in the behavioral sciences]. Tehran: Cognizant; 2000. (Persian)
8. Kaiser HF. An index of factorial simplicity. Psychometrika 1974; 39: 31-6.
9. Myers AS, Gamst G, Garynv J. Applied Multivariate Research. Pasha Sharifi H. (translator). Tehran: Roshd; 2012. (Persian)
10. Jason LA, Reichler A, King C, Madsen D, Camacho J, Marchese W. The measurement of wisdom: A preliminary effort. J Commun Psychol 2001; 29(5): 585-98.
11. Malek Mohammadi H, Hashemi Azar Pilerud ZH, Beige, Pezeshk SH, Sarrami GhR. Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the concept of reason is based on nonlinear analysis. Psychology of exceptional individuals 2014; 4: 81-102. (Persian)
12. Malek Mohammadi H, Hashemi Azar Pilerud ZH, Beige Pezeshk SH, Sarrami GhR. [Broken relationship with personality factors in adults]. Proceedings of the First Congress of the Humanities and social damage]. 2014. (Persian)
13. Douglas HA, Farrell AH. Perceptions of wisdom associated with selected occupations. Curr Psychol 1997; 16(2): 115.
14. Birren JE, Fisher LM. The elements of wisdom: overview and integration. In: Sternberg RJ. (editor). Wisdom, its nature, origins and development; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1990: 317-32.