Contribution of wisdom to well-being in Chinese older adults

Abstract

Given the need for more research to uphold the generalizability of the contribution of wisdom to personal well-being (self-esteem and life satisfaction) among older adults, studying that the contribution holds in the Chinese society of Hong Kong is helpful. As such, the study applied a model based on cognitive-developmental theory to understand the contribution. The study applied integrated measures of wisdom and personal well-being to 142 older Chinese adults in Hong Kong. The results showed that the model fit the correlational data and indicated the contribution after controlling for background characteristics. Essentially, the results showed that cognitive foundation indicated by education and basic cognitive ability sustained wisdom and thus contributed to personal well-being indirectly through wisdom. The results imply the usefulness of cognitive-developmental theory for championing personal well-being through education, basic cognitive ability, wisdom, and other cognitive-developmental factors in older adults.