A Cross-Lagged Study on the Relationship between Art-of-Living and Well-being
Nafiseh Kueffner and Bernhard Schmitz
Citation: Kueffner, N., & Schmitz, B. (2026). A Cross-Lagged Study on the Relationship between Art-of-Living and Well-being. European Journal of Applied Positive Psychology, 10, 2, 1-13.
https://www.nationalwellbeingservice.org/volumes/volume-10-2026/volume-10-article-2/
Processing dates: Submitted 31 December 2024; Resubmitted 21 August 2025; Accepted 28 September 2025; Published 18 March 2026
Abstract
Background: Art-of-living, defined as a conscious, self-determined, and reflective way of life, encompasses a cohesive set of strategies and attitudes that enhance well-being. However, previous research on the relationship between art-of-living and well-being has been limited to cross-sectional studies, which did not allow to determine the directionality.
Aims: We aimed to examine the cross-lagged relationship between art-of-living and well-being – measured as satisfaction with life, flourishing, and subjective happiness—using a cross-lagged study design. We hypothesized that this relationship would be unidirectional, meaning that art-of-living predict well-being rather than being a consequence of it.
Methods: The final study sample included 196 participants (104 females, 92 males), assessed across two waves with a 14-month interval. A cross-lagged design was employed to analyze the directional relationship between art-of-living and well-being.
Results: Results of our path analysis indicated that for two of the three well-being measures, the relationship was indeed unidirectional, with art-of-living predicting well-being over time.
Discussion: Our results support the notion that art-of-living serves as a pathway to well-being rather than the other way around.
Conclusion: The findings align with previous cross-sectional research on the association between art-of-living and wellbeing, highlighting that art-of-living contributes to well-being over time. The findings also offer practical implications for positive psychology research and applications.
Keywords: art-of-living, well-being, satisfaction with life, subjective happiness, flourishing, cross-lagged study
Generative AI statement
The author(s) confirm that no Generative AI was used in the creation and development of this manuscript. All citations and references have been thoroughly checked by the authors.
Biographies
Nafiseh Kueffner is a psychological psychotherapist and doctoral student at the Technical University Darmstadt, Alexander Str. 10, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany
Email: nene_kueffner@yahoo.de
Web: https://www.psychologie.tu-darmstadt.de/institut_psy/index.de.jsp
https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5053-1650
Bernhard Schmitz, is professor emeritus at the Technical University Darmstadt, Alexander Str. 10, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany
Email: schmitz@psychologie.tu-darmstadt.de
Web: https://www.psychologie.tu-darmstadt.de/arbeitsgruppen_psy/emeriti_psy_details_7491.de.jsp
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6034-6674