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About
Monika Ardelt is an Professor of Sociology at the University of Florida and the 2008 Colonel Allan R. and Margaret G. Crow Term Professor. She is a Founding Faculty Member and Member of the Advisory Committee of the University of Florida Center for Spirituality and Health. Dr. Ardelt received her Diploma (M.A.) in Sociology from the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University of Frankfurt/Main in Germany and her Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She currently serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Aging Studies, Research in Human Development, Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences. and Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences and as a deputy editor for the Journal of Family Issues. She is co-editor of the book Faith and Well-Being in Late Life: Linking Theories with Evidence in an Interdisciplinary Inquiry (2009).
Dr. Ardelt is the developer of the widely used Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale (3D-WS; Ardelt, 2003). In 1999, she was elected as a Brookdale National Fellow to study the similarities and differences between aging and dying well. As a Positive Psychology Templeton Senior Fellow in 2005, she examined the association between spirituality and aging well. In 2010, Dr. Ardelt was awarded Fellowship status of the Gerontological Society of America.
Dr. Ardelt has published numerous journal articles and book chapters in the area of successful human development across the life course with particular emphasis on the relations between wisdom, spirituality, aging well, and dying well.
CV (PDF)
Personal Webpage
Teaching
Undergraduate Courses
- Sociology of Aging and the Life Course (SYP 4730)
- Society and the Individual (SYP 3000)
- Principles of Sociology (SYG 2000)
Graduate Courses
- Introduction to Qualitative Methods (SYA 6315)
- Death and Dying in Old Age (SYA 7933)
- Sociology of Aging and the Life Course (SYP 6735)
Research
Areas of Specialization
- Adult Human Development
- Aging and the Life Course
- Wisdom, Purpose in Life, and Religiosity/Spirituality
- Aging Well and Dying Well
- Social Psychology
Monika Ardelt’s research focuses on successful human development across the life course with particular emphasis on the relations between wisdom, purpose and meaning in life, spirituality, aging well, and dying well. Her overall goal is to identify factors that lead to both aging and dying well and that might help families and institutions to facilitate well-being and psychological growth for the elderly until the very end of life under conditions that are more cost-effective and humane than customary practice.
Publications
Edited Book:
Selected Publications
- Ardelt, M., & Bruya, B. (2021). Three-dimensional wisdom and perceived stress among college students. Journal of Adult Development, 28, 93–105.
- Ardelt, M. (2020). Can wisdom and psychosocial growth be learned in university courses? The Journal of Moral Education, 49, 30-45.
- Ardelt, M., & Ferrari, M. (2019). Effects of wisdom and religiosity on subjective well-being in old age and young adulthood: Exploring the pathways through mastery and purpose in life. International Psychogeriatrics, 31, 477–489.
- Ferrari, M., Bang, H., Ardelt, M., & Feng, Z. (2019). Educating for virtue: How wisdom coordinates informal, non-formal and formal education in motivation to virtue in Canada and South Korea. Journal of Moral Education, 48(1), 47-64.
- Ardelt, M., & Grunwald, S. (2018). The Importance of self-reflection and awareness for human development in hard times. Research in Human Development, 15, 187-199.
- Ardelt, M., Gerlach, K. R., & Vaillant, G. E. (2018). Early and midlife predictors of wisdom and subjective well-being in old age. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 73, 1514–1525.
- Ardelt, M., Pridgen, S., & Nutter-Pridgen, K. L. (2018). The relation between age and three-dimensional wisdom: Variations by wisdom dimensions and education. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 73, 1339–1349.
- Ardelt, M., & Jeste, D. (2018). Wisdom and hard times: The ameliorating effect of wisdom on the negative association between adverse life events and well-being. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 73, 1374–1383.
- Bruya, B., & Ardelt, M. (2018). Wisdom can be taught: A proof-of-concept study for fostering wisdom in the classroom. Learning and Instruction, 58, 106–114.
- Thomas, M. L., Bangen, K. J., Ardelt, M., & Jeste, D. V. (2017). Development of a 12-item abbreviated Three-Dimensional Wisdom Scale (3D-WS-12): Item selection and psychometric properties. Assessment, 24, 71-82.
- Ai, A. L., & Ardelt, M. (Eds.). (2009). Faith and well-being in later life: Linking theories with evidence in an interdisciplinary inquiry. Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science.
- Ardelt, M., & Jeste, D. (2016). Wisdom and hard times: The ameliorating effect of wisdom on the negative association between adverse life events and well-being. Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. (PDF)
- Ardelt, M. (2016). Disentangling the relations between wisdom and different types of well-being in old age: Findings from a short-term longitudinal study. Journal of Happiness Studies, 17(5), 1963-1984.
- Ardelt, M., & Edwards, C. A. (2016). Wisdom at the end of life: An analysis of mediating and moderating relations between wisdom and subjective well-being. Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 71(3), 502-513. (PDF)
- Owens, J. E., Menard, M., Plews-Ogan, M., Calhoun, L. G., & Ardelt, M. (2016). Stories of growth and wisdom: A mixed-methods study of people living well with pain. Global Advances in Health and Medicine, 5(1), 16-28.
- Plews-Ogan, M., May, N., Owens, J. E., Ardelt, M., Shapiro, J., & Bell, S. K. (2016). Wisdom in medicine: What helps physicians after a medical error? Academic Medicine, 91(2), 233-241.
- Weststrate, N. M., Ferrari, M., & Ardelt, M. (2016). The many faces of wisdom: An investigation of cultural-historical wisdom exemplars reveals practical, philosophical, and benevolent prototypes. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 42(5), 662–676.
- Cheraghi, F., Kadivar, P., Ardelt, M., Asgari, A., & Farzad, V. (2015). Gender as a moderator of the relation between age cohort and three-dimensional wisdom in Iranian culture. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 81(1-2), 3-26.
- Oden, C., Ardelt, M., & Ruppel, C. (2015). Wisdom and its relation to ethical attitude in organizations. Business and Professional Ethics Journal, 34(2), 141-164.
- Landes, S. D., Ardelt, M., Vaillant, G. E., & Waldinger, R. J. (2014). Childhood adversity, midlife generativity, and later life well-being. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 69(6), 942–952.
- Bergsma, A., & Ardelt, M. (2012). Self-reported wisdom and happiness: An empirical investigation. Journal of Happiness Studies, 13(3), 481-499. (PDF)
- Ardelt, M. (2011). The measurement of wisdom: A commentary on Taylor, Bates, and Webster’s comparison of the SAWS and 3D-WS. Experimental Aging Research, 37(2), 241-255.
- Ardelt, M. (2010). Are older adults wiser than college students? A comparison of two age cohorts. Journal of Adult Development, 17(4), 193-207.
- Ardelt, M., Landes, S. D., & Vaillant, G. E. (2010). The long-term effects of World War II combat exposure on later life well-being moderated by generativity. Research in Human Development, 7(3), 202-220.
- Jeste, D. V., Ardelt, M., Blazer, D., Kraemer, H. C., Vaillant, G., & Meeks, T. W. (2010). Expert consensus on characteristics of wisdom: A Delphi method study. The Gerontologist, 50(5), 668-680.
- Ardelt, M. (2009). How similar are wise men and women? A comparison across two age cohorts. Research in Human Development, 6(1), 9-26.
- Ardelt, M. (2008). Being wise at any age. In S. J. Lopez (Ed.): Positive psychology: Exploring the best in people. Volume 1: Discovering human strengths (pp. 81-108). Westport, CT: Praeger. (PDF)
- AArdelt, M. (2008). Being wise at any age. In S. J. Lopez (Ed.): Positive psychology: Exploring the best in people. Volume 1: Discovering human strengths (pp. 81-108). Westport, CT: Praeger. (PDF)
- Ardelt, M., Ai, A. L., & Eichenberger, S. E. (2008). In search for meaning: The differential role of religion for middle-aged and older persons diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Journal of Religion, Spirituality and Aging, 20(4), 288-312.
- Ardelt, M., & Koenig, C. S. (2007). The importance of religious orientation in dying well: Evidence from three case studies. Journal of Religion, Spirituality & Aging, 19(4), 61-79. (PDF)
- Ardelt, M., & Koenig, C. S. (2006). The role of religion for hospice patients and relatively healthy older adults. Research on Aging, 28(2), 184-215. (PDF)
- Ardelt, M. (2005). How wise people cope with crises and obstacles in life. ReVision: A Journal of Consciousness and Transformation, 28(1), 7-19. (PDF)
- Ardelt, M. (2004). Wisdom as expert knowledge system: A critical review of a contemporary operationalization of an ancient concept. Human Development, 47(5), 257-285. (PDF)
- Ardelt, M. (2004). Where can wisdom be found? – A reply to the commentaries by Baltes and Kunzmann, Sternberg, and Achenbaum. Human Development, 47(5), 304-307. (PDF)
- Ardelt, M. (2003). Empirical assessment of a three-dimensional wisdom scale. Research on Aging, 25(3), 275-324. (PDF)
- Ardelt, M. (2003). Effects of religion and purpose in life on elders’ subjective well-being and attitudes toward death. Journal of Religious Gerontology, 14(4), 55-77. (PDF)
- Ardelt, M. (2003). Physician-assisted death. Pp. 424-434 in: C. D. Bryant et al. (eds.): Handbook of Death and Dying, Volume One: The Presence of Death, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. (PDF)
- Ardelt M., & Day, L. (2002). Parents, siblings, and peers: Close social relationships and adolescent deviance. Journal of Early Adolescence, 22(3), 310-349 (PDF).
- Ardelt, M., & Eccles, J. S. (2001). Effects of mothers’ parental efficacy beliefs and promotive parenting strategies on inner-city youth. Journal of Family Issues, 22(8), 944-972. (PDF)
- Ardelt, M. (2000). Still stable after all these years? Personality stability theory revisited. Social Psychology Quarterly, Special Millennium Issue on The State of Sociological Social Psychology, 63(4), 392-405. (PDF)
- Ardelt, M. (2000). Intellectual versus wisdom-related knowledge: The case for a different kind of learning in the later years of life. Educational Gerontology: An International Journal of Research and Practice, 26(8), 771-789. (PDF)
- Ardelt, M. (2000). Antecedents and effects of wisdom in old age: A longitudinal perspective on aging well. Research on Aging, 22(4), 360-394. (PDF)
- Ardelt, M. (1998). Social crisis and individual growth: The long-term effects of the Great Depression. Journal of Aging Studies, 12(3), 291-314. (PDF)
- Ardelt, M. (1997). Wisdom and life satisfaction in old age. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 52B(1), P15-P27. (PDF)
- Elder, G. H., Eccles, J., Ardelt, M., & Lord, S. (1995). Inner city parents under economic pressure: Perspectives on the strategies of parenting.” Journal of Marriage and the Family, 57, 771-784. (PDF)
- Elder, G. H., Conger, R. D., Foster, E. M., & Ardelt, M. (1992). Families under economic pressure. Journal of Family Issues, 13(1), 5-37. (PDF)
- Blau, P. M., Ruan, D., & Ardelt, M. (1991). Interpersonal choice and networks in China. Social Forces, 69(4), 1037-1062. (PDF)
Contact
Monika Ardelt, Ph.D.
Professor of Sociology
Office: Turlington Hall, Room 3350
Email: ardelt@ufl.edu
PO Box 117330
Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611