Gerotranscendence and wisdom in Polish older adults. The longitudinal mediation analysis of forgiveness

Abstract

Objectives: The goal of the present study was to investigate whether forgiveness played a mediating role in the relationships between gerotranscendence and wisdom among people in late adulthood. Method: The study included 416 participants aged 60 to 75 years. The following measures were used: the Gerotranscendence Scale Type 2 (GST2), the Heartland Forgiveness Scale and the Self-Assessed Wisdom Scale (SAWS). To verify the hypothesis, a longitudinal three-wave field study was conducted. Results: The results suggest that an increase in gerotranscendence is associated with an increase in forgiveness and wisdom. In addition, greater willingness to forgive co-occurs with higher levels of wisdom. Moreover, dispositional forgiveness mediates the relationship between gerotranscendence and wisdom – a higher gerotranscendence leads to a higher wisdom through an increase in forgiveness. Conclusion: The results of our research add to the knowledge of the mechanism of the relationship between gerotranscendence and wisdom and support the thesis that late adulthood presents individuals with new challenges and opportunities for creative personal development.

Keywords:

• Late adulthood
• aging
• gerotranscendence
• wisdom
• forgiveness

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research project was carried out as part of an internal grant implemented at the Department of Psychology of the University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw, Poland. Project title: Forgiveness, Wisdom, Humor and Psychosocial Functioning Among Adults in the Second Half of Life. Perspectives on Lars Tornstam’s Theory of Gerotranscendence.