PERMA

Science & Engineering abbreviation · Psychology

PERMA
Stands forPositive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishment
CategoriesScience & Engineering

PERMA stands for Positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishment, a psychology abbreviation.

Model of well-being from positive psychology proposing five elements that help people flourish: positive emotion, engagement, positive relationships, meaning and accomplishment. It is used in school well-being programs, coaching and workplace initiatives.

Example: The school's PERMA curriculum includes gratitude journals, strengths exercises and service projects.

Usage notes

Martin Seligman, founder of the positive psychology movement, introduced PERMA in his 2011 book Flourish. The PERMA-Profiler questionnaire measures the elements. Critics note that the elements overlap and that the model's benefits have been oversold in some commercial programs.

More psychology abbreviations

  • MMPI – Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
  • MSCEIT – Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test
  • NEO PI-R – NEO Personality Inventory, Revised
  • NFC – Need for cognition
  • OCEAN – Openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism
  • PAI – Personality Assessment Inventory
  • PHQ-9 – Patient Health Questionnaire-9
  • PSI – Processing Speed Index
  • RT – Reaction time
  • SB5 – Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition
  • SDT – Self-determination theory
  • SEM – Structural equation modeling

See all 62 psychology abbreviations →