Monika Ardelt
Professor
- Gainesville FL UNITED STATES
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Monika Ardelt's research focuses on successful adult development across the life course with emphasis on wisdom and aging well.
Contact More Open optionsBiography
Monika Ardelt, Ph.D., is professor of sociology in the Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law. She is a founding faculty member and nember of the advisory board of the UF Center for Spirituality and Health. She is a Brookdale National Fellow, a Positive Psychology Templeton Senior Fellow, and a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America. Her research focuses on successful adult human development across the life course with emphasis on the relations between wisdom, flourishing, well-being, spirituality, aging well and dying well. She developed the widely used Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale.
Areas of Expertise
Media Appearances
Ep 41. with Dr. Monika Ardelt
New People, New Ways online
2025-06-03
In this episode of New People, New Ways, we welcome Dr. Monika Ardelt—renowned sociologist, wisdom researcher, and pioneer in the study of spiritual aging. Dr. Ardelt is Professor of Sociology at the University of Florida and the creator of the widely used Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale (3D-WS). Her work explores what it means to live and die well, offering deep insights into the roles of wisdom, spirituality, and meaning throughout the human life span.
How can you measure wisdom?
ResponsAbility online
2025-04-01
In this episode, we talk with Monika about how she came to study wisdom, what makes someone wise, and how wisdom can be cultivated across the lifespan. We explore the links between wisdom, well-being, resilience, meaning-making, spirituality, and responsibility—and whether wisdom can be taught in educational settings. Monika also reflects on the challenges of measuring wisdom across cultures and why she believes that wisdom is ultimately not something found in books, but embodied in the way we live our lives.
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.
Wise Up
Road to Resilience 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.
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. She spoke with evidencebasedwisdom about her experiences in the field of Wisdom Research, and the growth of the field itself. She also talked about the role of wisdom in ageing and dying well and discussed the possible role meditation might play in the development of wisdom.
Linking wise organisations to wise leadership, job satisfaction and well-being
Sapience online
In our latest episode of Sapience, SPJIMR Prof Surya Tahora is in conversation with Prof Monica Ardelt, University of Florida. Monica Ardelt takes us on a journey into the heart of wise organisations. Drawing from her Three-Dimensional Wisdom model, she breaks down the components of a wise organisation, from leadership and decision-making to the sharing of profits. She also explains why wise organisations are the way of the future and how they can create a better, more sustainable world for future generations.
Social
Articles
Together on the Path of Positive Aging. Wisdom and Marital Satisfaction in Polish Older Couples: The Mediation Analysis of Forgiveness
Journal of Family IssuesBrudek, Ardelt & Kaleta
2026-06-08
This study investigated the relationship between wisdom and marital satisfaction in older Polish couples, examining benevolence and resentment/avoidance as mediators.
Declining Health and Sense of Mastery Can Explain the Inverse Relation Between Advanced Age and Wisdom
Journal of Ageing and LongevityMonika Ardelt
2026-02-14
Previous research found an inverse U-shaped association between age and different measures of wisdom, with the apex in late midlife. What might explain the negative relation between age and wisdom during the later years of life? This research investigated the impact of subjective physical health and mastery, using data from the Successful AGing Evaluation study of 976 adults between the ages of 51 and 99 years.
Is AI Wise?
Filosofiska NotiserMonika Ardelt
2026-01-01
The answer to the question whether generative artificial intelligence (AI) is wise depends on the definition of wisdom. An analysis of ‘interviews’ with three generative AI programs about their general and personal wisdom demonstrated that AI might be considered wise if wisdom is defined as general wisdom-related knowledge and insight about life or wise reasoning and advice-giving. However, if wisdom is conceptualized as a developmental process toward a wiser personality and self-transcendence, then AI is not wise, because it is neither a person nor has a self.
