Conception of Wisdom Resources Among Chinese Emerging and Young Adults

Abstract

Emerging adults’ approaches to personal development in life may be revealed in their conception of wisdom resources (WRs), i.e., factors that lead to the development of wisdom. We explored the conception of WRs among 453 Chinese emerging and young adults aged 18–30. Participants completed an online questionnaire covering 19 potential WRs proposed by experts in the psychological study of wisdom and non-experts in Western and Chinese cultures. Participants indicated how much they agreed these factors lead to wisdom development. Afterward, they reported additional WRs not listed. The results revealed that “willingness to learn” was the most endorsed WR, while “religious/spiritual experience” was the least. Moreover, the conception of WRs varied significantly across different genders, ages, and education levels. Finally, although the conception of WRs among our participants was similar to that among Western laypeople, participants reported culturally unique WRs (e.g., motivation to pursue positive experiences, physical and psychological health). These findings may inspire future research on emerging adults’ wisdom development.