The Relation Between Age and Three-Dimensional Wisdom: Variations by Wisdom Dimensions and Education

Abstract

Objectives: Curvilinear relations between age and wisdom have been found in prior research with its peak either in young adulthood or in midlife. This study tested whether the association between age and three-dimensional wisdom differed for the cognitive, reflective, and compassionate (affective) wisdom dimensions and whether the results varied by education.

Method: OLS regression was used to analyze an online sample of 14,248 adults between the ages of 18 and 98 years (mean [M] = 36.46, standard deviation [SD] = 12.68) from four educational groups.

Results: The relation between age and three-dimensional wisdom was curvilinear and varied in shape by wisdom dimensions and education. The association between age and wisdom followed an inverse U-curve with the peak at midlife and almost opposing shapes for the cognitive and compassionate dimensions and an intermediate shape for the reflective dimension. Education was positively related to wisdom and affected the shape of the relationships.

Discussion: Because the association between age and wisdom appears to be curvilinear and varies by education, studies that test a linear association without separating the sample by education might arrive at the wrong conclusions. In general, education seems to promote the attainment of wisdom and also inoculate individuals against a decline in wisdom later in life.