A new project led by Dr. Igor Grossmann, professor of psychology, was awarded $1.5 million in funding from the Templeton World Charity Foundation (TWCF) to study wisdom and standards of wise judgment.
The project, entitled “Wisdom across cultures beyond traditional decision-making paradigms,” looks at how different factors - cultural, ecological and situational – influence people’s views of wisdom for navigating everyday decisions, approaching challenges and handling conflicts.
“Studying wisdom is important because it provides insights into how people make decisions in complex, uncertain situations that don't have clear solutions, especially when these situations are influenced by cultural, moral, and interpersonal factors,” said Grossmann. “Developing decision-making strategies that are more adaptive and contextually appropriate can improve individual well-being, social harmony, and effective problem-solving. This research can also inform policy-making, education, and other fields by promoting more culturally inclusive and context-sensitive approaches.”
The biggest initiative of its kind, the project aims to challenge traditional decision-making models that typically focus on WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic) societies. So far, 30 researchers from 12 countries across North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa are part of the Wise Judgment Consortium, a growing community that aims to create a more inclusive model for decision-making.
“While Western models emphasize analytical logic and self-interest, many cultures use holistic, context-dependent, and communal approaches to judgment and decision-making,” said Grossmann. “Our project seeks to map these diverse strategies, recognizing that what is considered ‘wise’ can vary greatly across cultures and contexts, thereby offering a more inclusive and accurate framework for understanding decision-making globally.”
The project’s interdisciplinary approach combines expertise from a variety of fields including psychology, psychometrics and computer science for a richer understanding of wisdom and decision making. For instance, via anthropological and psychological surveys researchers gather data on how people from different cultures approach complex situations, natural language processing techniques help identify common strategies, and via computer modelling scholars test these strategies in different contexts.
The emphasis improving people’s lives aligns with the TWCF goal to fund “innovative projects that push the boundaries of scientific knowledge and help people flourish.”
Congratulations to Igor Grossmann and the team!
Visit the Wise Minds website to learn more about the project. Scholars interested in this work are encouraged to reach out.