PERMAnant Happiness: Exploring the multi-dimensionality of wellbeing

The study of well-being has increasingly become a focus for governments and policy makers, with the argument that seeking to improve the overall well-being of a population is just as legitimate a goal as seeking to increase economic growth. Population-level well-being is generally measured through constructs like life satisfaction. However, ‘life satisfaction’ scores may only tap into the emotional aspect of well-being, overlooking vital aspects of the well-being. This research investigates a multidimensional tool for investigating well-being, the PERMA model, to examine how different dimensions of well- being are similar to, and different from, the notion of “life satisfaction” that is commonly measured in population surveys. The findings indicate that although global PERMA scores correlate strongly with “life satisfaction” scores, the PERMA subscales reveal considerable variation.