COMMONWEALTH ASSOCATION FOR
EDUCATION, ADMINISTRATION AND
MANAGEMENT
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 3
ISSN NO 2322- 0147
MARCH
2014
A Study to Explore the Conception of the
Development of Wisdom
Excellence International Journal of Education and
Research (Multi- subject journal)
Excellence International Journal Of Education And Research
VOLUME 2
ISSUE 3
ISSN 2322-0147
A Study to Explore the Conception of the Development of Wisdom
By
POOJA VERMA
Senior Research Fellow, Department of Foundations of Education, Faculty of Education, Dayalbagh
Educational Institute (Deemed University), Agra (U.P.), India.
PROF. NANDITA SATSANGEE
Department of Foundations of Education, Faculty of Education Dayalbagh Educational Institute
(Deemed University), Agra (U.P.), India.
Email: poojaverma0709@gmail.com
Abstract
This study aimed to explore the conception of how does wisdom develop? For this purpose, a
self constructed tool (Wisdom Development Clarification Opinionnaire) was employed. 11
items related to development of wisdom were enlisted and twenty experts from five disciplines
(Education, Psychology, Philosophy, Theology and Consciousness Studies) were selected to
elicit their judgement on a five point rating scale. Lawshe’s formula was employed for
content validity and means values were calculated for deriving results of the study. The
Content Validity Index (CVI) was found acceptable that is 0.65. The study successfully
explored the conception of wisdom development in a holistic way.
Key words: Wisdom, Development of wisdom, Content Validity.
1.0.0 Introduction
Wisdom construct has become an area of interest of the researchers from various fields in
recent years. Many researchers (i.e. Baltes & Smith, 1990; Sternberg, 1986, 1990; Ardelt,
2000; Brown, 2004 and so on) tried to explain this construct in their own way. As a result,
numbers of definitions of wisdom have emerged. These definitions of wisdom come together
on some elements but still differ in their emphasis of the components that wisdom consists of.
Wisdom researchers’ theories can be classified in two categories: first is cognition based
theories (e.g. Baltes & Staudinger, 2000 and Sternberg, 1998) and second is integrative
theories (e.g. Ardelt, 2000 and Le & Levinson, 2005). Cognition based theories define
wisdom as application of knowledge (Sternberg, 1990, p. 231) and “......fundamental
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pragmatics of life” (Baltes & Staudinger, 2000, p.132), while integrated theories define
wisdom as personality characteristic on all sides of cognition, reflection and affection (Ardelt,
2000) or see wisdom as self-transcendence (Le & Levinson, 2005), integrity vs. despair (Erik
Erikson, 1968) and self actualization (Maslow, 1943).
1.2.0 What is Wisdom?
Wisdom comprises of seven dimensions as knowledge of self, understanding reality, social
sensibilities, judgment, pragmatic life-skills, quest for learning, and values. (Based on the
results of researcher’s own empirical research related to concept of wisdom) These can be
seen through the diagram 1.
Diagram 1: Seven Interrelated Dimensions of Wisdom.
Understanding
Reality
Knowledge
of Self
Values
Social
Sensibilities
Wisdom
Quest for
Learning
Judgment
Pragmatic
Life Skills
Thus, we can say that wisdom is a holistic construct. It is the highest possible developed
level of human mind and personality with deep understanding of life (worldly life as well as
transcendental reality).
So how does wisdom develop? This question was the central of this study and tried to
explore the conception of the development of wisdom.
1.3.0 Objective of the Study
The aim of this study was to investigate the conception of wisdom development.
1.4.0 Research Methodology
It has been discussed under the following heads:
1.4.1 Method of the Study
In the present study ‘Descriptive Research Method' of research has been employed by the
researcher, that is concerned with ‘what is describing, recording, analyzing and interpreting
conditions that exist’ (Best,1977).
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1.4.2 Tool of the Study
In this study, a self-constructed tool (Wisdom Development Clarification Opinionnaire) has
been used. This opinionnaire assessed the conception of how wisdom develops. It is based on
the work of Baltes and Smith (2008), Brugman (2006), Sternberg (1986, 1990), Rosch (2008)
and Gluck et al. (2011).
1.4.2.1 Tool Construction Methodology
The various phases of the opinionnaire construction have been carried out under the
following heads.
(1) Identifying Specific Categories of Content Domains
A review of the literature such as Sternberg (1986, 1990), Baltes & Smith (1990), Gluck &
Bluck (2011), Chen et. al. (2011) and others was performed in order to define the content
domains of opinionnaire for clarifying the development of wisdom. Based on this review of
related literature, some components of wisdom development were determined.
(2) Preliminary Draft of the Opinionnaire
After collecting the content of the test and selecting necessary points regarding the
construction of the tool, the preliminary draft of the scale was designed. In order to define
wisdom development, again an intensive review of related researches was carried out.
Thereafter discussion with experts helped to streamline and modify the items. Also the format
of the opinionnaire was decided as “Most Important to Unimportant” five point Likert type
rating scale. Total 10 components/items of the development of wisdom were enlisted in this
draft of the opinionnaire.
(3) Second Draft of the Opinionnaire
After preparing the preliminary draft of the test, in the next phase, the items/components of
the opinionnaire were evaluated by the subject experts whether they were able to fulfil the
aim of the test or not. Equipped with various suggestions some items reformed and modified.
Some of the items were dropped out and some new items were also added. Thus, 11
components of wisdom development were in the opinionnaire.
(4) Validation by Experts (Taking Experts’ Opinion on How Wisdom Develops)
The second draft was submitted, along with the conception of how wisdom develops, to
judges for eliciting their judgments on the essentiality of various components on a five point
Likert type scale in this draft. Twenty seven experts of national and international were
identified and requested to participate in the judging process. Of the twenty seven experts
who were initially approached, twenty experts returned a correctly completed opinionnaire.
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This amounted to a return rate of eighty percent. The experts belonged to various fields as
shown in table 01.
Table 01: Showing Experts’ Area of Specialization
S.N.
Expert Type
Number
Education
4
1
Psychology
7
2
Philosophy
4
3
Theology
3
4
Consciousness
Studies
2
5
Total
20
(5) Content Analysis
of the Opinionnaire
After collecting the drafts from the judges, statistical calculations were performed. The
consensus among experts to include a specific component in the final draft was quantified by
determining the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) as given by Lawshe (1975). The following
formula was used for this purpose:
Eq. 1:
CVR= (ne-n/2)/ (n/2)
ne is the number of experts indicating “essential”
n/2 is the number of experts divided by two.
CVR is a shortened form of Content Validity Ratio.
The CVI for this new wisdom concept clarification opinionnaire was calculated by Eq. 2:
CVI=∑CVR / Retained Numbers
Finally, the CVI of opinionnaire was found 0.65.
The content validity index (CVI) of the tool is simply a mean of the CVR values of items
retained in the validated procedure of the opinionnaire. It presents the commonality of
judgments regarding the validity, or applicability of the final opinionnaire being researched.
The overall content validity will be higher if the value of the CVI is closer to 0.99 and vice
versa (Lawshe, 1975).
(6) Calculation of the Items-wise Means
For purpose of computing the mean for each component/item, the following values were
assigned to each point of the rating scale:

Most Important and Considerably Important – were marked as 2

Moderately Important - was marked as 1

Marginally Important and Unimportant - were marked as 0
(7) Determination of Acceptance or Rejection Criteria
To select items in final draft of opinionnaire, the following criteria were applied:
1. Accept unconditionally if CVR is equal to or larger than 0.42. This value applies to 20
experts in accordance with table given by Lawshe (1975) of CVR values.
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2. Accept if CVR is between 0 and 0.42 and the mean of judgments is higher than 1.5.
3. Reject if CVR is less than 0 and the mean is lowers than 1.5.
Only those components, meeting the minimum CVR value (0.42) and mean value (1.5), were
retained in the final draft. This can be seen from the table 02.
Table: 02 Showing Means and CVR Values and Acceptance or Rejection Results of
Each Item
S.N.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Components of Wisdom Development
Individuals’ observations
Reflection, assimilation & adjustment and
application
Exposure from books and studying philosophies
Social interactions
Positive and negative experiences
Patiently dealing with and overcoming highly
negative situations
Facing uncertainties of life with equanimity
Religious and spiritual experiences
Confronting human mortality
Adjustment with environment
Growing old as such (Maturity)
CVR
0.9
0.8
Mean
1.95
1.85
Accept/Reject
Accept
Accept
0.5
0.5
1
0.8
1.65
1.7
2
1.9
Accept
Accept
Accept
Accept
0.5
0.7
0.5
0.5
0.5
1.65
1.7
1.65
1.65
1.7
Accept
Accept
Accept
Accept
Accept
1.5.0 Results Related to How Wisdom Develops
In this study, after evaluation of validity, all 11 enlisted items of wisdom development
matched the required CVR and mean values. So no item/component was rejected. The CVI of
this part of opinionnaire was calculated and it was found 0.65 in the present study. Thus, all
these items on whole provide a view about how wisdom develops. All these items can be
seen through bar diagrams as given below:
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Diagram: 02 Showing How Wisdom Develops.
Individuals’ observations
Reflection, assimilation & adjustment and
application
Exposure from books and studying
philosophies
Social interactions
Positive and negative experiences
Patiently dealing with and overcoming
highly negative situations
Mean
CVR
Facing uncertainties of life with equanimity
Religious and spiritual experiences
Confronting human mortality
Adjustment with environment
Growing old as such (Maturity)
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
These 11 items has represented theoretical views of wisdom’s ontogeny (i.e. Baltes and
Smith, 2008; Brugman, 2006), including that wisdom develops through observation,
reflections, assimilation, facing and patiently dealing highly negative situations of life.
Undoubtedly individual’s experiences play the most important role in wisdom development
as consensus of all experts were found unanimous on this point, there is also a potential role
for religious and spiritual experiences and practices (Rosch, 2008), social interactions,
exposure from books and studying philosophies, adjustment with environment and growing
old as such (maturity).
1.6.0 Discussion
This study has clarified the views of how does wisdom develops in an integrating
manner. For deriving the results of the study, Lawshe’s formula was employed and means
value was calculated for each item. Findings suggest that particularly growing older as such
(maturity) was not the central for development of wisdom. Although correlates of older age
(i.e. confronting human mortality, life review) may foster wisdom, age in itself is not
sufficient (Brugman, 2006; Staudinger, 1999).
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This study also has some limitations as only twenty experts have been selected from
five disciplines. The items in opinionnaire were limited in number. In addition, there were
lacks of researches to guide the construction of developmental items of wisdom. A few
studies were available on it (i.e. Gluck et. al., 2011 and Chen et. al. 2011).
Despite these limitations, this study has provided an integrated theoretical framework
for defining how wisdom develops in a holistic manner.
1.7.0 Educational Implications & Significance
There are so many reasons for why schools and universities should seriously focus on
the development of wisdom and consider including wisdom-related skills in their curriculum
for developing wisdom among learners/students. First of all, knowledge and intelligence
alone itself don’t guarantee of satisfaction, happiness or behaviour that look beyond selfinterest. Wisdom seems a better vehicle to the attainment of these goals.
By developing wisdom among students we can achieve the aim of education that is to
evolve a complete man and all round development of the students can be possible.
Students are the future citizens of society and wisdom represents an avenue to creating
a better and more harmonious society and world. Dictators such as Adolf Hitler and Joseph
Stalin may have been knowledgeable or even a good critical thinkers in maintaining their
own power but we can’t say them wise because wisdom is the application of knowledge for
good rather than bad. It enables a person to differentiate between good and bad.
So, we say that this study has significant educational implications.
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