Validation of a German and English Version of the Revised Art-of-Living Inventory

It is an important goal for many people to achieve happiness or well-being. Research has shown the effects of various stand-alone strategies to increase well-being. However, it is unclear whether multiple strategies can enhance happiness. Art-of-living is defined as a combination of the most important strategies that lead to well-being. Based on philosophical theory and empirical studies, 11 strategy components have been identified. A basic questionnaire, the Art-of-Living Inventory (AOLI), which aims to measure these strategies, was validated in a German-speaking sample (n = 1,302) and an English-speaking sample (n = 2,166). Results confirmed the hypothesized factor structure which comprised 11 dimensions and at least weak measurement invariance. Further analyses demonstrated good internal consistency, retest reliability and convergent, and discriminant validity with respect to different indicators of well-being and the validation measures. Multiple regressions indicated that a combination of multiple components was significantly better at predicting well-being than even the best single component. Moreover, when compared to personality, art-of-living was demonstrated to have additional and distinct effects on well-being. In sum, the AOLI has promising measurement characteristics and may be applied in research studies to better understand well-being and in intervention studies aimed at enhancing well-being.