Impact of Wisdom on Preference for Solitude and Friendship Quality among Young Adults: A Mixed-method Study

Description

Page: 442-447

Mousumi Mayra, Shruti Ghosh, Hritisha Majumder, and Rimpa Roy (Department of Psychology, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, Purulia, West Bengal)

Friends play a vital role in a youth’s life, as they spend most of the time with their friends, sharing intimate information about life. Sometimes, solitude brings out self-exploration, which is very helpful for an individual to know themselves well, which ultimately helps them build meaningful friendships with others. It is also essential that they remain wise enough to manage the conflict among friends and make logical decisions regarding their careers and other aspects of life. Therefore, the objective of the present study is to explore the impact of wisdom on the preference for solitude and friendship qualities of today’s youth. A sample of 250 young adults, both male and female, belonging to urban, semi-urban, and rural areas and also belonging to all socio-economic backgrounds, was drawn through convenient sampling. Three instruments were used to collect data, including the Practice of Wisdom Assessment Scale (PWAS) by Singh and Mehrotra; the Preference for Solitude Scale by Burger (1995); and the Friendship Quality Scale (FQUA), developed by Thien, Razak, and Jamil (2001). Regression analysis and ANOVA were computed to analyse the quantitative data, which indicates that wisdom significantly predicted friendship quality and that there is a significant difference in wisdom and friendship quality among young adults belonging to urban, semi-urban, and rural areas. Qualitative data analysis further elaborates the conceptual meaning of wisdom and friendship quality, contributing to a better understanding of the association between wisdom and friendship quality.