Monika Ardelt

Professor University of Florida

  • Gainesville FL

Monika Ardelt developed the Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale to study the predictors, correlates and effects of personal wisdom.

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University of Florida

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Biography

Monika Ardelt is a sociology professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She also is the 2008 Colonel Allan R. and Margaret G. Crow Term Professor. Monika is a founding faculty member and member of the advisory committee of the University of Florida Center for Spirituality and Health. She developed the widely used Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale. She specializes in adult human development, aging and the life course, wisdom, purpose in life, religiosity/spirituality, aging and dying well and social pyschology.

Areas of Expertise

Social Psychology
Dying Well
Subjective Well-being
Psychological well-being
Wisdom
Successful Adult Human Development
Aging and the Life Course
Spirituality
Flourishing
Aging Well
Purpose in Life

Media Appearances

Is wisdom the key to successful old age?

KCRW  radio

2021-07-17

Despite increasing longevity, old age can present overwhelming challenges; the loss of mobility, cognitive decline, hearing and sight loss and increased dependence on others can result in pain and suffering as well as frustration and depression. Maintaining a positive attitude can be hard but research shows those who are able to exhibit the characteristics of wisdom, are better able to navigate the ravages of old age.

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Wise Up

Mount Sinai  online

2021-05-13

Monika Ardelt, PhD, has spent her career studying an ideal that’s as universal as it is elusive: wisdom. And like many wisdom researchers, she’s concluded that we don’t necessarily become wiser as we age. Many people even become less wise. It’s a troubling thought, not only because wisdom is associated with resilience and life satisfaction, but also because if we’re not becoming wiser, what exactly are we becoming? Dr. Ardelt explains why wisdom matters and offers thoughts on how to cultivate it, including in moments of adversity.

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Wisdom Profiles: Monika Ardelt

Evidence-based Wisdom  online

Monika Ardelt is an Associate Professor of Sociology at The University of Florida. Her research interests include Adult Human Development and Ageing and Dying well. For the last 25 years or so, she has been at the cutting edge of Wisdom Research.

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Social

Articles

Does Self-Transcendent Wisdom Mediate the Relation between Spirituality and Well-Being? A Test Across Six Nations

Journal of Happiness Studies

Monika Ardelt, et. al

2023-05-04

The purpose of the study was to examine whether self-transcendent wisdom mediates the positive relation of spirituality on general well-being and life satisfaction. We used ANOVA, bivariate correlations, and multi-group path analyses to assess whether spirituality is positively related to life satisfaction (LS) and general well-being (GWB), and whether these relations are mediated by self-transcendent wisdom (STW).

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The Benefits of Wise Organizations for Employee Well-Being

Business & Professional Ethics Journal

Monika Ardelt, Bhavna Sharma

2023-05-01

Similar to personal wisdom, which is believed to be beneficial for individuals, others, and the larger community, wise organizations are likely to have a positive impact on employee well-being if their ultimate goal is to promote the common good. To test this hypothesis and create a wise organization index, the cognitive, reflective, and compassionate dimensions of the Three-Dimensional Wisdom Model were integrated with the psychological needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness of Self-Determination.

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Wisdom as a Resiliency Factor for Subjective Well-Being in Later Life

Psychosoziale und Medizinische Rehabilitation

Monika Ardelt, Dilip V. Jeste

2022-01-01

Research has shown that wisdom tends to be positively associated with subjective well-being (SWB) in later life, especially if older adults encounter physical or social hardship. Yet, the role of resiliency in the wisdom and well-being relationship has not been investigated. We extended our earlier study that investigated the buffering effect of wisdom on the inverse relationship between adverse life events and SWB (Ardelt & Jeste, 2018) to analyze whether resiliency mediates the association between three-dimensional wisdom and SWB by reducing stress.

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