The PERMA-Profiler: A brief multidimensional measure of flourishing

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DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v6i3.526

Keywords:

Wellbeing, Flourishing, Assessment, Measure Development, Positive Psychology

Abstract

Abstract:  In the book Flourish (2011), Seligman defined wellbeing in terms of five pillars: Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment, or PERMA. We developed the PERMA-Profiler as a brief measure of PERMA. We first compiled hundreds of theoretically relevant items. Three studies (N = 7,188) reduced, tested, and refined items, resulting in a final set of 15 questions (three items per PERMA domain). Eight additional filler items were added, which assess overall wellbeing, negative emotion, loneliness, and physical health, resulting in a final 23-item measure. A series of eight additional studies (N = 31,966) were conducted to test the psychometrics of the measure. The PERMA-Profiler demonstrates acceptable model fit, internal and cross-time consistency, and evidence for content, convergent, and divergent validity. Scores are reported visually as a profile across domains, reflecting the multidimensional nature of flourishing. The PERMA-Profiler adds to the toolbox of wellbeing measures, allowing individuals to monitor their wellbeing across multiple psychosocial domains.

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Author Biography

Margaret L. Kern, The University of Melbourne

Senior Lecturer in Positive Psychology at the Melbourne Graduate School of Education

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Published

2016-10-13

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Section

Articles