Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
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Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, Vol 52, Issue 1 P15-P27, Copyright © 1997 by The Gerontological Society of America

ARTICLES

Wisdom and life satisfaction in old age

M Ardelt
Department of Sociology, University of Florida, USA. ardelt@soc.ulf.edu

According to previous research findings, objective life conditions such as physical health, socioeconomic status, financial situation, the physical environment, and social involvement cannot fully explain the well-being of older persons. Instead, personality characteristics and developmental influences appear to have a stronger impact. This study combines personality and individual development by introducing the ancient but neglected concept of wisdom as a predictor of life satisfaction. Using a sample of 120 elderly women and men from the 1968/69 Berkeley Guidance Study, structural equation models with latent variables show that wisdom (defined aa a composite of cognitive, reflective, and effective qualities) has a profoundly positive influence on life satisfaction independent of objective circumstances. The inclusion of wisdom as an additional predictor of subjective well- being increases the explanatory power of the model considerably. Gender differences in predictors of life satisfaction are discussed.


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Home page
 Research on AgingHome page
M. Ardelt
Antecedents and Effects of Wisdom in Old Age: A Longitudinal Perspective on Aging Well
Research on Aging, July 1, 2000; 22(4): 360 - 394.
[Abstract] [PDF]


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