Dimensions of wisdom perception across twelve countries on five continents

M. Rudnev (), H. C. Barrett, W. Buckwalter, E. Machery, S. Stich, K. Barr, A. Bencherifa, R. F. Clancy, D. L. Crone, Y. Deguchi, E. Fabiano, A. D. Fodeman, B. Guennoun, J. Halamová, T. Hashimoto, J. Homan, M. Kanovský, K. Karasawa, H. Kim, J. Kiper, M. Lee, X. Liu, V. Mitova, R. B. Nair, L. Pantovic, B. Porter, P. Quintanilla, J. Reijer, Pedro Romero, P. Singh, S. Tber, D. A. Wilkenfeld, L. Yi and I. Grossmann ()
Additional contact information
M. Rudnev: University of Waterloo
H. C. Barrett: UCLA
W. Buckwalter: George Mason University
E. Machery: University of Pittsburgh
S. Stich: Rutgers University
K. Barr: University of Pittsburgh
A. Bencherifa: University of Johannesburg
R. F. Clancy: Virginia Tech
D. L. Crone: Northeastern University
Y. Deguchi: Kyoto University
E. Fabiano: University of Coimbra
A. D. Fodeman: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
B. Guennoun: Ibn Tofail University
J. Halamová: Comenius University in Bratislava
T. Hashimoto: Toyo University
J. Homan: University of Kansas
M. Kanovský: Comenius University in Bratislava
K. Karasawa: The University of Tokyo
H. Kim: Korea University
J. Kiper: University of Alabama at Birmingham
M. Lee: Seoul National University
X. Liu: Wuhan University
V. Mitova: University of Johannesburg
R. B. Nair: University of Johannesburg
L. Pantovic: University of Belgrade
B. Porter: University of Pittsburgh
P. Quintanilla: University of Johannesburg
J. Reijer: University of Johannesburg
P. Singh: Indian Institute of Technology
S. Tber: Université Internationale de Rabat
D. A. Wilkenfeld: University of Pittsburgh
L. Yi: University of Pittsburgh
I. Grossmann: University of Waterloo

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Wisdom is the hallmark of social judgment, but how people across cultures recognize wisdom remains unclear—distinct philosophical traditions suggest different views of wisdom’s cardinal features. We explore perception of wise minds across 16 socio-economically and culturally diverse convenience samples from 12 countries. Participants assessed wisdom exemplars, non-exemplars, and themselves on 19 socio-cognitive characteristics, subsequently rating targets’ wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. Analyses reveal two positively related dimensions—Reflective Orientation and Socio-Emotional Awareness. These dimensions are consistent across the studied cultural regions and interact when informing wisdom ratings: wisest targets—as perceived by participants—score high on both dimensions, whereas the least wise are not reflective but moderately socio-emotional. Additionally, individuals view themselves as less reflective but more socio-emotionally aware than most wisdom exemplars. Our findings expand folk psychology and social judgment research beyond the Global North, showing how individuals perceive desirable cognitive and socio-emotional qualities, and contribute to an understanding of mind perception.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50294-0

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