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Who knows who is wise? Self and peer ratings of wisdom
Uwe Redzanowski1, Judith Glück
1Department of Psychology, Project Wisdom, Alpen-Adria Universität Klagenfurt, 9020 Klagenfurt, Austria.
Objectives:
This study investigated relationships between three measures of wisdom: self-ratings, peer ratings, and a self-report scale. We expected to find a zero or negative correlation between the self-rating and the average peer rating and low positive correlations of both to the self-report scale. We also tested whether there would be more convergence among measures in the top scorers.
Method:
A total of 179 members of 17 university departments were rated by their department colleagues with respect to wisdom; about half of them also rated themselves and filled out a wisdom self-report scale (Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale [3D-WS]; Ardelt, M. (2003)).
Results:
There were no significant relationships among the three measures of wisdom, neither in the total sample nor among the top scorers.
Discussion:
Depending on the focus of research, peer ratings may be a more suitable measure of wisdom than self-report scales or performance measures.
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