Abstract
The definition and operationalization of “wisdom” as the apex of psychological maturation and the capacity to manage life’s most arduous challenges is inherently multidimensional and complex. Despite its theoretical and practical significance, extant research on this construct remains both scarce and diffuse. Guided by recent advancements in experiential‐life studies that have opened new avenues for clarifying wisdom, the present investigation sought to examine (a) the relationships among wisdom, autobiographical memory, and prospective thinking, and (b) the mediating roles of emotion regulation and a reflective–exploratory attitude.
Method
Employing a positivist paradigm with a quantitative approach, we conducted a correlational study utilizing structural equation modeling. A convenience sample of 450 adults aged 20–50 was recruited. Participants completed the Self‐Assessed Wisdom Scale, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, the Reflective–Exploratory Thinking Questionnaire, an Autobiographical Memory Retrieval Task, and a Prospective Thinking Measure. Data were analyzed via SPSS 27 and AMOS 24.
Results
Fit indices for the full mediation model indicated excellent fit (GFI = 0.98; CFI = 0.97; NFI = 0.96; TLI = 0.91; IFI = 0.96). Autobiographical memory demonstrated a significant indirect effect on wisdom via a reflective–exploratory stance (β = 0.29, p < .001). Similarly, autobiographical memory’s indirect pathway to wisdom through emotion regulation difficulties was significant (β = –1.94, p < .001). In contrast, prospective thinking did not exert a significant indirect effect on wisdom through emotion regulation (β = 0.38, p = .089). The full model explained 47% of the variance in wisdom, whereas the direct model—excluding mediators—accounted for only 14%.
Conclusion
These findings suggest that wisdom can be cultivated within the context of autobiographical memory, wherein meaning extraction from one’s past—facilitated by adaptive emotion regulation—underpins the development of wise reasoning. This model has practical applications in designing therapeutic interventions to facilitate life‑narrative reconstruction in disorders such as depression and post‑traumatic stress disorder, in educational contexts to promote deeper learning, and within developmental psychology.