What the PERMA measures
Historically, psychology focused entirely on pathology (fixing what is broken). Dr. Martin Seligman founded Positive Psychology on the premise that "not being depressed" is not the same as "flourishing." His PERMA model posits that true well-being is not just chasing happiness (hedonia), but a complex interplay of five independent, measurable elements.
The dimensions it assesses
- P - Positive Emotion: Experiencing joy, optimism, and cheerfulness.
- E - Engagement: Experiencing "Flow"—being completely absorbed in tasks where time seems to stop.
- R - Relationships: Having authentic, supportive, and loving connections with others.
- M - Meaning: Belonging to and serving something that you believe is bigger than the self.
- A - Accomplishment: Pursuing success, mastery, and achievement for its own sake.
Already have a PERMA score from somewhere else? Look it up without retaking the questionnaire.
What your score means
Calculate the average score for each of the 5 domains. Calculate the Overall Well-Being Score by averaging all 15 items.
| Score | Interpretation | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| 0.0 – 4.9 | Languishing | The user is experiencing a distinct lack of vitality and purpose. While they may not be clinically depressed, they are surviving, not thriving. |
| 5.0 – 7.4 | Moderate Functioning | The typical baseline for most adults. Functioning well in some areas (e.g., Accomplishment) but perhaps deficient in others (e.g., Meaning or Engagement). |
| 7.5 – 10.0 | Flourishing | The highest tier of psychological well-being. The user is highly resilient, deeply connected, and living a life of real purpose and flow. |
These ranges describe groups of people, not individuals. A score near a boundary is not meaningfully different from one just across it, and no range on this table is a diagnosis.
What to do with your result
- Targeting Weak Pillars: Well-being is heavily bottlenecked by the lowest pillar. If a user scores 9 on Accomplishment but 3 on Relationships, they are an isolated workaholic. Interventions must target the weak pillar (e.g., mandating social time) rather than optimizing the strong one.
- Hacking "Engagement" (Flow): If Engagement is low, the user is likely bored or over-stressed. To induce Flow, the difficulty of a task must exactly match the user's skill level. If it's too hard = Anxiety. If it's too easy = Apathy/Boredom.
- The Gratitude Intervention: To boost 'Positive Emotion', the most scientifically validated intervention is the "3 Good Things" exercise: writing down three things that went well each day and why they happened, rewiring the brain's negativity bias.
Common questions about the PERMA
- What does the PERMA measure?
- Measurement of multidimensional "flourishing" and well-being, moving beyond the mere absence of disease to the active presence of a meaningful, engaged life.
- Can the PERMA diagnose me?
- No. Wellbeing Profile (PERMA) is a screening questionnaire, not a diagnostic tool. It can flag that something may need a closer look. It cannot tell you what is causing it. It describes tendencies rather than diagnosing anything, and no result here is a condition or something to fix.
- How long does the PERMA take?
- 15 questions, which most people finish in 3 – 5 minutes. There is no time limit, and answering honestly matters more than answering quickly. The results page checks for patterns suggesting the questions were rushed.
- Is this PERMA test really free?
- Yes. No account, no email address, no payment. Psychometrics Today is funded by donations rather than advertising, which is also what allows us to publish instruments whose authors permit free but non-commercial use.
- Are my answers stored or shared?
- No. Your answers are scored inside your browser and never sent to us. There is no database of responses, because we never receive any. Closing the tab erases them, which is why results cannot be recovered afterwards.
- How often should I retake the PERMA?
- Traits and preferences move slowly, so retaking this every few months is more informative than retaking it often. Larger shifts usually follow a genuine change in circumstances.
- How accurate is the PERMA?
- Screening questionnaires are good at flagging that something merits attention and poor at establishing what it is. This one is sensitive to how you feel on the day you take it, and many instruments were validated on narrow populations whose cut-offs may not transfer cleanly to everyone. The references at the foot of this page are the primary sources.
Sources
Rights held by Butler & Kern. Developed and validated by the researchers cited below.
- Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. Free Press.
- Butler, J., & Kern, M. L. (2016). The PERMA-Profiler: A brief multidimensional measure of flourishing. International Journal of Wellbeing, 6(3), 1-48.
Licensing
free-permitted. Free for research and personal use.