The role of wisdom for enhancing social well-being and positive aging in old age

Manuela Zambianchi

Accepted December 2, 2022

First published December 16, 2022

https://doi.org/10.26387/bpa.2022.00008

Abstract

Wisdom constitutes a growing area of research, also for its relevance for positive aging. In this study
the three dimensional model of wisdom (Pragmatic competence and knowledge; Integrated dialectical post-formal
thinking; Future uncertainty management; Moraitou & Efklides, 2012) was adopted and explored in its associations with
Social well-being (Keyes, 1998).A sample of 155 old people (M age = 68.98; SD = 6.68; 49 males and 106 females)
took part in the study, filling in the Social Well-being Questionnaire (Keyes, 1998) and The Wise Thinking and Acting
Questionnaire (Moraitou & Efklides, 2012). Wisdom as Pragmatic knowledge resulted positively associated with Social integration, Social acceptance, Social coherence and overall Social well-being. Wisdom as Integrated post-formal dialectical thinking resulted in being positively associated with almost all the components of SWB and with overall SWB. Integrated post formal dialectical thinking emerged as a significant contributor to the explained variance for overall SWB, after controlling for age, gender and school education as structural variables. It also gives a positive contribution to the explained variance for the sub-components Social contribution and Social coherence. Wisdom as Pragmatic competence gives a contribution for the Social contribution dimension. A reflection on the implication of results has been made.

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Zambianchi Manuela . The role of wisdom for enhancing social well-being and positive aging in old age. BPA Applied Psychology Bulletin. 2022;295(1):24-41. doi:10.26387/bpa.295.1.

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Author Surname Author Initial. Title. Publication Title. Year Published;Volume number(Issue number):Pages Used. doi:DOI Number.


Zambianchi Manuela . The role of wisdom for enhancing social well-being and positive aging in old age. BPA Applied Psychology Bulletin. 2022;295(1):24-41. doi:10.26387/bpa.295.1.