Ways to Happiness in German-Speaking Countries
The Adaptation of the German Version of the Orientations to Happiness Questionnaire in Paper-Pencil and Internet Samples
Abstract
Peterson, Park, and Seligman (2005) developed the Orientations to Happiness (OTH) questionnaire to measure three routes to happiness: life of pleasure (hedonism), life of engagement (flow) and life of meaning (eudemonia). The questionnaire was translated into German in several steps (independent translations by five experts, creation of the initial version by committee approach, retranslation, modification, and final version). Data were collected in paper-pencil (N = 1,152) and Internet samples (N = 4,174). The OTH scales showed satisfactory internal consistencies (.63 ≤ α ≤ .76) and stability across 6 months (all ≥ .63). The factorial structure of the German OTH was analyzed (RMSEA ≤ .074 and SRMR ≤ .043 for the 3-factor solution) in both samples. Tucker’s Phi coefficients for factorial congruence between the two samples were .99. The three scales were positively intercorrelated. The endorsement of the life of pleasure was higher in younger, unmarried, and nonreligious participants. The life of meaning was more pronounced among the religious participants. There was a good convergence (all > .49) between homologous scale of the self- and peer-form, and the OTH predicted behavior in prototypical pleasure, engagement, and meaning situations. Most importantly, high scores in each of the orientations to happiness corresponded to higher degrees of overall satisfaction with life.
References
(1989). Structural equation models with latent variables. New York: Wiley.
(1976). A handbook of cross-national MMPI research. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
(2006). ITC guidelines on computer-based and Internet-delivered testing [Special Issue]. International Journal of Testing, 6(2).
(1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. New York: HarperCollins.
(1994). Assessing subjective well-being: Progress and opportunities. Social Indicators Research, 31, 103–157.
(1985). The satisfaction with life scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 71–75.
(2004). Should we trust web-based studies? A comparative analysis of six preconceptions about Internet questionnaires. American Psychologist, 59, 93–104.
(2006). Multivariate data analysis. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
(2006). Structural equation modeling. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.
(1998). Fit indices in covariance structure modeling: Sensitivity to underparametrized model misspecification. Psychological Methods, 3, 424–453.
(2007). Mplus user’s guide (5th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Muthén & Muthén.
(2009). Orientations to happiness and life satisfaction in twenty-seven nations. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 4, 273–279.
(2005). Orientations to happiness and life satisfaction: The full versus the empty life. Journal of Happiness Studies, 6, 25–41.
(2007). Strengths of character, orientations to happiness, and life satisfaction. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2, 149–156.
(2002). Authentic happiness. New York: Free Press.
(2000). Positive psychology: An introduction. American Psychologist, 55, 5–14.
(2005). Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60, 410–421.
(1951). A method for synthesis of factor analysis studies (Personnel Research Section Report No. 984). Washington, DC: Department of Army.
