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14 - Self-Report Wisdom Measures

Strengths, Limitations, and Future Directions

from Part III - Measures of Wisdom

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2019

By
Jeffrey Dean Webster
Edited by
Robert J. Sternberg  and
Judith Glück
Robert J. Sternberg
Affiliation:
Cornell University, New York
Judith Glück
Affiliation:
Universität Klagenfurt, Austria
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Summary

Given its ancient pedigree and cultural complexity, defining and accurately measuring wisdom is a major challenge for psychological science. In this chapter I describe the merits and limitations of measuring personal wisdom using self-report scales. I begin by briefly contrasting self-reporting with some alternative methods of assessing wisdom, such as performance measures, noting some of the more difficult issues that self-report measures must address, such as potential social desirability bias and construct validity. I then provide brief descriptions of extant self-report measures, summarizing the strengths and limitations of each. Subsequently, I describe several ways in which self-report measures have been employed as a means of attenuating identified limitations, including using wisdom nominees, qualitative analyses of critical event narratives, and attending to cultural nuances and validation efforts. Finally, I offer a tentative suggestion to incorporate self-report measures as part of a “wisdom battery” which includes examining the “four Ps” of wisdom: person, process, product, and press.
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Wisdom , pp. 297 - 320
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

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