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7th European Conference on Positive Psychology, Amsterdam 2014
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Wisdom and health in
adulthood
Marlena Plavšić
Neala Ambrosi-Randić
Juraj Dobrila University of Pula
Croatia
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Wisdom
• gained popularity
• areas of:
• human development
• successful aging
• personal growth
• wisdom is a key factor in the construction of a “good life”
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• multidimensional construct
• in which life lessons learned via evaluative reflection enable individuals to develop as persons, as well as to contribute to the common good (Webster, Westerhof, and Bohlmeijer, 2012)
• 5 dimensions of wisdom (Webster, 2003; 2007):– experience
– emotional regulation
– reminiscence/ reflection
– humour
– openness
Construct of wisdom
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Health
• definition
• multidimensional construct
• protective and risk factors connection
with wisdom?
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Aim of the research
to explore possible differences in
some aspects of health between
wiser and less wise persons
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Method – participants + procedure
• 323 persons in Croatia
• 165 ♀ 158 ♂
• age: 18 – 88 years
• part of a larger survey
on explicit and implicit
theories of wisdom
• March – May 2012
• group and individual
administration
widowed
16%married
62%
else
1%
divorced
4%
not
married
17%
college
18%
high
school
59%
ES
15%
not
completed
ES
8%
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Croatia
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Method - measuresWisdom
• The Self-Assessed Wisdom Scale (SAWS) (Webster, 2003; 2007)
• reliabilty: 0.89
• 5 subscales of 8 items each:– experience
– emotional regulation
– reminiscence/reflection
– humour and
– openness
• from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree)
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Method - measuresHealth
Self-esteem
Life satisfaction
Depressiveness and anxiety
Biological variables
How would you estimate your current health? - from 1 (suffering from illness) to 4 (rather healthy)
Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale (1965)
How satisfied are you with your life as a whole? - from 1 (completely unsatisfied) to 5 (completely satisfied)
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (Zigmond & Snaith, 1983)
age, gender
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Results: Total wisdom scores
• total SAWS results 2 groups:
– M – 1 SD = lowest scorers (N = 52)
– M + 1 SD = highest scorers (N = 34)
• no significant differences were found in:
– anxiety
– gender
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Results (t-test):
Total wisdom scores
Lowest scorers
• poorer health: 2,60**
• lower self-esteem: 29,04**
• lower life satis.: 3,58*
• higher depr. results: 9,31**
• higher age: 58,5*
* p < 0,05
** p< 0,01
Highest scorers
• better health: 3,38**
• higher self-esteem: 36,15**
• higher life satis.: 4,03*
• lower depr. results: 4,50**
• lower age: 47,9*
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Results (t-test):
Experience Reminiscence
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Anx
iety*
Age
**
Highest N=71 Lowest N=47
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Anxie
ty**
Age**
Self-e
st.*
Highest N=64 Lowest N=50
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Results (t-test):
Emotional regulation Humour
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Hea
lth*
Sel
f-est.**
Life
sat
.**
Dep
.**
Anx
.**
Age
*
Highest N=64 Lowest N=48
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Hea
lth**
Sel
f-est.**
Life
sat
.**
Dep
.**
Anx
.**
Age
**
Highest N=71 Lowest N=46
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Results (t-test): Openness
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Health** Self-est.** Life sat.** Depression** Age**
Highest N=66 Lowest N=51
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Discussion
• higher wisdom and
– better health
– higher self-esteem
– lower depressiveness
– lower anxiety
• have:
– better emotional
regulation
– more humour
– more openness
– younger age
• possible reasons:
– better coping
– better social support
– better functioning
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Discussion
• higher anxiety with:
– more experience
– more reminiscence/
reflection
• lower anxiety with:
– better emotional
regulation
– more humour
– more openness
• possible reasons for ambivalence:
– anxiety as cautiousness
– too much reflecting – too many worries, slower
desicion making, slower acting
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Conclusion
• importance of wisdom for
– health and
– specifically psychological well-being
• supporting people in coping strategies,
especially humour and emotional control,
as well as openness can be useful for
better health