Abstract
Prior research found that the positive association between wisdom and subjective well-being might at least partially be explained by greater mastery and purpose in life. This study tested whether religiosity provides an alternative pathway to well-being and whether the associations are moderated by age cohort and nation. Using cross-sectional data of 111 older adults (age range 62–99 years, M=77.20, SD=8.98) and 100 young adults (age range 21–30 years, M=24.05, SD=2.69) from the US and Canada, multi-group path analysis confirmed that mastery and purpose in life partially mediated the association between wisdom and well-being for all participants. Among older adults, religiosity offered an alternative pathway to well-being, partially through a greater sense of purpose in life. Religiosity was not directly related to well-being among young adults, but mastery and life purpose mediated the association between religiosity and well-being for US young adults, indicating the importance of both age cohort and place.