Development of career wisdom:
Abstract: While prior research has highlighted the beneficial role of career wisdom in facilitating career development and well-being, relatively little is known about psychosocial resources that facilitate the development of career wisdom. To extend the dual-process theory of career decision making and adaptation and its conceptualization of the psychosocial foundations of career wisdom, the present study employed a three-wave time-lagged design to examine the longitudinal development of career wisdom through psychological resources derived from the MORE life experience model (openness, reflectivity, empathy, emotional regulation, and sense of mastery). Drawing on a sample of U.S. workers (N = 995), the study found that emotional regulation and empathy (Time 1) positively predicted the growth of career wisdom (Time 3) through enhanced sense of mastery (Time 2), whereas openness and reflectivity (Time 1) did not show significant indirect effects. These findings provide novel insights into the developmental processes underlying career wisdom, underscoring the importance of emotional resources and mastery beliefs in facilitating adaptive responses to career uncertainty. Limitations and directions for future research are also discussed.