PERMA: A Multidimensional Framework of Well-being in

Indonesian Adults

Ni Luh Ayu Vivekananda

and Evi Ema Victoria Polii

Departement of Psychology, Maranatha Christian University, Surya Sumantri No. 65, Bandung, Indonesia

Keywords: Well-being theory, PERMA, Positive Psychology.

Abstract: Well-being is considered an important factor to support humans to function positively in the environment.

Seligman's PERMA explains the 5 dimensions that create well-being which are positive emotions,

engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. This research involved 112 individuals aged 18-

63 as respondents, using survey technique with the PERMA questionnaire; and the data analysis technique

used was descriptive analysis. The result of this research points to high scores across all dimensions of

PERMA well-being, with Engagement emerging as the highest rated dimension and Positive emotion as the

lowest dimension. The highest correlation between Positive Emotion and Meaning becomes the basis of this

research to suggest the development of strategies to improve wellbeing in adults. The limitiation of this

research is minimal number of sample. This has an impact on the results of this research, which can only be

used to describe the PERMA well-being of the respondents of this research. In addition, it is hoped that further

research will not only examine the profile of the 5 dimensions of PERMA but also link to other factors that

affect well-being such as physical and spiritual health, flow, gratitude, and happiness to obtain a more

comprehensive analysis related to PERMA well-being.

1 INTRODUCTION

This research focuses on developing studies in the

positive psychology field, specifically to discuss

well-being which is an important achievement of an

individual in living his/her life. Seligman (2002)

emphasized that the goal of psychology is initially to

heal individuals from mental illnesses, identify and

further research human talents, and continue to

develop their strengths, and also help humans achieve

a more meaningful life. However, after world war II,

it turned out that psychology had only succeeded in

answering the first goal; to heal individuals from

mental illness. This is what eventually becomes the

emergence point of positive psychology whose aim is

to restore the three main objectives of psychology

(Compton, 2005)

Positive psychology discusses that Individuals

achieve well-being when they have a good, pleasant,

and meaningful life. This will assist humans to serve

more positively so that they can develop themselves,

their families, and society at large (Seligman, 2002).

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3548-1428

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2333-9344

This is what underlies a lot of research that has been

developing related to well-being. Several approaches

were developed to explain this concept of well-being;

starting from the subjective well-being, that addresses

subjective evaluation results of individuals regarding

their life process (Diener & Ryan, 2009), to

psychological well-being, which is a concept that

discusses individuals' evaluation of life processes in

facing challenges and also continues to function

positively in the environment (Ryff & Keyes, 1995).

PERMA is a multidimensional framework of well-

being that examines well-being from 5 main

dimensions.

PERMA well-being is defined as the concept of

individual welfare through three dimensions, namely

Positive emotion, Engagement, and Meaning. Then,

in 2006 Seligman completed the concept into 5

dimensions that show well-being as a comprehensive

well-being concept including hedonic and

eudaimonic. The five dimensions are Positive

emotion, Engagement, Relationship, Meaning, and

Accomplishment (PERMA). These PERMA

Vivekananda, N. and Polii, E.

PERMA: A Multidimensional Framework of Well-being in Indonesian Adults.

DOI: 10.5220/0010754700003112

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Emerging Issues in Humanity Studies and Social Sciences (ICE-HUMS 2021), pages 489-495

ISBN: 978-989-758-604-0

489

dimensions show the high level of well-being, or what

is called the multidimensional framework of well-

being (Seligman, 2013).

The first dimension is Positive emotion, an

important part of well-being that consists of fun, joy,

happiness, and other emotions that are part of positive

emotions. The second dimension is engagement. It is

defined by focusing on something being done and

feeling the pleasure of being fully involved with what

is being done. The third dimension is Relationship /

positive Relationship. Humans need one another;

therefore, they need to improve their welfare by

building strong relationships with family, friends,

neighbors, and other people around them. Meaning is

the fourth dimension, and it is described as the

meaning of an individual's life. Life will be more

meaningful if individuals are capable of dedicating

themselves more to broader things that have impacts

not only on themselves but also on other people. The

last dimension is Accomplishment. This dimension

discusses the goals that can be obtained, whether it is

a small, medium, or large goal. Prosperity develops

when an individual grows by achieving the life goals

he/she has set. If someone has these five dimensions,

then that person's life will feel prosperous (Seligman,

2013).

Well-being has multiple characters both in the

method and in the elaboration of its conceptual

content. Positive emotion is a subjective variable that

defines what an individual thinks and feels, while

Engagement, Relationship, Meaning, and

Accomplishment have subjective and objective

dimensions. This is likely to illustrate that well-being

does not stop at a cognitive level but appears in the

form of behavior that is applied in the life of an

individual. If individuals achieve well-being, they

will develop and add a positive contribution to their

environment.

This study will emphasize the use of the PERMA

approach to further research adults in Indonesia.

Indonesia is a country that has a lot of natural and

cultural resources. It is because Indonesia is an

archipelago that has different ethnicities, cultures,

races, and religions where each culture, caste, and

religion has very diverse characteristics. This

diversity guides Indonesian people to have an

understanding of the values or beliefs that underlie

individuals to behave and also to function in society

(Dewi & Rosyida, 2017).

The diversity of cultures, ethnicities, races, and

religions are probable to lead to a variety of

appreciations about living a prosperous life for each

individual. Previous studies that examined well-being

in Indonesian society, stated that positive emotion

and engagement are the highest dimensions of all

well-being dimensions. The definition of well-being

in Indonesian society is a balance in all aspects of

human life that includes the fulfillment of all basic

needs, physical, psychological, social, financial,

spiritual health aspects, as well as the achievement of

goals, acceptance, gratitude, and happiness. The

research also found the factors that influence the well-

being of Indonesian people, namely internal (physical

health, gratitude, happines) and external factors

(global economy, social condition). Methods that can

be undertaken to improve the well-being of the

Indonesian people are by maintaining physical and

mental health, financial management, improving

social and spiritual aspects, and increasing self-

efficacy (Dewi & Rosyida, 2017).

It is stated that it is important to continue to

develop studies regarding this PERMA well-being in

various fields of life as well as at various stages of

development. The stage of adult development is one

of the most appropriate stages to measure well-being

as several theoretical views, such as Erikson, Rogers,

Jung, Maslow, and Alport all state that in adulthood

there has been a development of individual maturity

and this will help them to function optimally in life

(Ryff, 1995). The age range for adults is quite long,

starting from the age of 18 years to over 60 years

(Santrock, 2019). Therefore, this study will focus on

PERMA Well-being in adults in Indonesia.

2 METHODS

2.1 Research Designs & Procedures

This research was conducted using a descriptive

survey method. Survey research uses some basic

research procedures to obtain information from

people in their natural environment. Researchers who

use the survey method do not manipulate the

variables but impose some limitations on the

participants using specific survey instruments

(Graziano & Raulin, 2014). Systematically, this

research design can be described as follows:

Chart 1: Research Procedure.

Adult in

Indonesia

Well-being

(PERMA)

score

PERMA

Well-being

questionnaire

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490

2.2 Research Variables

The variable in this study is PERMA:

multidimensional framework of well-being which is

a comprehensive individual welfare that includes

hedonic and eudaimonic formed from five main

dimensions, namely Positive Emotion, Engagement,

Relationship, Meaning, and Accomplishment

(Seligman, 2011).

2.3 Measuring Instruments

The measuring instrument of this research is the

PERMA questionnaire that was adapted from the

“Studi well-being pada masyarakat Indonesia” (Dewi

& Rosyida, 2017) which was adjusted into 15 items

in Bahasa Indonesia covering five main dimensions

of PERMA well-being, namely Positive Emotion,

Engagement, Relationship, Meaning and

Accomplishment (Seligman, 2013).

2.4 Validity & Reliability of Measuring

Instruments

The validity of the measuring instrument aims to

determine the extent to which a measuring instrument

can test the attributes or things to be measured. The

higher the validity of the measuring instrument, the

more it shows what should be measured. The validity

test that has been carried out is construct validity. It is

a measuring instrument prepared based on a valid

theory, that is the PERMA well-being theory from

Seligman (2011). The calculated correlation

coefficient will determine whether an item can be

utilized or discarded. Statistical testing used SPSS

(Statistical Packages for Social Service) 20.0 for

Windows with the spearman rank formula. The

measurement of the validity of the 15 PERMA

questionnaire items employed in this study has a

result of 0.394 – 0.797.

The reliability test of this measuring instrument is

aimed at determining the extent to which the

measuring instrument utilized has a level of accuracy,

trustworthiness, and stability in measuring a certain

variable. The reliability of the measuring instrument

was tested with Alpha Cronbach using SPSS 20.0 for

Windows. The results derived from the calculation of

the reliability of the PERMA well-being measuring

instrument used is 0.914. The number is categorized

as very high reliability.

Table 1: Validity 15 items of PERMA questionnaire.

No. Item in Bahasa Indonesia Validity

How much of time do you feel you

are making progress towards

accomplishing your goals?

.599**

How often do you become absorbed

in what you are doing?

.618**

In general, how often do you feel

joyful?

.790**

How often do you achieve the

important goals you have set for

yourself?

.715**

In general, to what extend do you

lead a purposeful and meaningful

life?

.752**

To what extent do you receive help

and support from others when you

need it?

.502**

In general, to what extent do you

feel that what you do in life is

valuable and worthwhile?

.657**

In general, to what extent do you

feel excited and interested in things?

.642**

In general, how often do you feel

positive?

.666**

How often are you able to handle

your responsibilities?

.534**

How often do you lose track of time

while doing something you enjoy?

.394**

To what extent do you feel loved?

.685**

To what extent do you generally

feel you have a sense of direction in

your life?

.776**

How satisfied are you with your

personal relationships?

.748**

In general, to what extent do you

feel contented?

.797**

2.5 Population & Sampling

The population in this study is all adults in Indonesia.

Sampling that was carried out is snowball sampling,

by setting criteria for adult age (18 years and over)

and living in Indonesia. Respondents were recruited

through a process of disseminating information on

social media (WhatsApp & Instagram), containing a

brief explanation of the research, respondent

characteristics, and a Google form link to the PERMA

Well-being questionnaire. The questionnaire link was

distributed from November 2020 to February 2021 (4

PERMA: A Multidimensional Framework of Well-being in Indonesian Adults

491

months). From the specified time limit, 112

respondents filled out the questionnaire completely.

2.6 Data Analysis

The analysis technique applied was the descriptive

analysis technique. It is a technique of analyzing data

by describing the data that has been collected. In this

research, the demographic data of the respondents,

mean score of each PERMA dimension, and also

correlation among the five PERMA dimensions to

describe the PERMA well-being of the respondent

will be presented.

3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

In this section, the results of descriptive data analysis

PERMA: multidimensional framework of well-being

retrieved through 112 respondents will be shown. The

final result of the research will be presented through

a description of the results of each PERMA's

dimension as the 5 main pillars that can shape welfare

or is often referred to as well-being.

3.1 Results

From the 112 respondents, the demographic

description obtained is as follows:

Table 2: The demographic data.

Demographic Data Frequency Percentage

Gender

Woman

Man

81.25%

18.75%

Level of Education

Undergraduate

Graduate

Postgraduate

79.46%

18.75%

1.79%

Daily Activity

Student

Employee

Unemployed

55.36%

34.82%

9.82%

Ethnic Group

Chinese

Javanese

Sundanese

Batak

Balinese

Not disclosed

33.92 %

19.64 %

16.96 %

11.60 %

4.46 %

13.39 %

The descriptive analysis applied on the data of 112

adult in Indonesia shows the following description of

the results:

Table 3: Mean, standard deviations, minimum & maximum

score of five PERMA dimensions.

N Mean

Std.

Deviation

Min Max

P 112 7.56 1.61 1,00 10,00

E 112 8.03 1.46 1,00 10,00

R 112 7.67 1.71 1,00 10,00

M 112 7.57 1.71 1,00 10,00

A 112 7.61 1.48 1,00 10,00

Table 3 shows that all PERMA dimension mean

scores are above the mid-point of the scale. It can be

seen that dimension scores range from Positive

Emotion as lowest (M = 7.56, SD = 1.61) to

Engagement as highest (M = 8.03, SD = 1.46). This

is in accordance with research on the general

population, which also shows that the highest mean

score is in the Engagement dimension and the lowest

is the Positive Emotion dimension. (Butler and Kern,

2016). The second highest mean score is Relationship

dimension (M = 7.67, SD = 1.71). This dimension is

related to building positive relationships with the

people around individuals. It complies with the

culture of Indonesian society which is more

collective. Collective society has stronger ties with

partners, families, and even with the surrounding

community (Bejanyan, Marshall, & Ferenczi, 2015).

The lowest mean score is Positive Emotion dimension

(M = 7.56, SD = 1.61). Low Positive Emotion shows

a less positive appreciation of the situation that is

lived in (Seligman, 2013).

In addition to calculating the mean, this research

also measures the correlation of each PERMA

dimension. Table 4 shows the correlation between

each PERMA dimension. This is also carried out in

the research of PERMA in the general population.

Both show that each PERMA dimension is positively

correlated with each other with a moderate value.

Furthermore, it is also found that the correlation

between Positive emotion and Meaning obtained the

highest correlation score (r = 0.721). This is also in

line with the findings of the PERMA study on the

Classical Musician professionals (Ascenso, Perkins,

& Williamon, 2018). For instance, as participants

reported greater Positive Emotion, they also tended to

report higher levels of Meaning. This is in line with

the theory that explains by living Positive emotion in

the process of achieving goals will help individuals

attain meaning in life (Steger, 2018).

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Table 4: Correlation among PERMA dimensions.

P E R M A

P 1

E .534** 1

R .703** .442** 1

M .721** .530** .683** 1

A .615** .425** .499** .695** 1

**p < 0.01 P, Positive Emotion; E, Engagement;

R, Relation; M, Meaning; A, Accomplishment

Table 5 shows in detail the comparison of

PERMA’s mean score between this research and

general population research. This research collected

data from various studies conducted on adults aged

18-65 years (N = 31965). Respondents in the general

population research came from various backgrounds

from countries around the world, which were

dominated by countries in the USA as much as 60%.

(Butler & Kern, 2016). This data comparison shows a

similarity in which the mean score of each dimension

is above the median score. In addition, it is also found

that Positive emotion is the dimension with the lowest

mean score and the Engagement dimension is the

dimension with the highest mean score in both

research. This data comparison is fascinating as the

mean score of the five PERMA dimensions in this

study is significantly higher (p < α 0.05) than scores

for general population, as determined by

independent-samples t-tests conducted using

summary values. Effect sizes (Cohen’s d) were

modest.

3.2 Discussions

In this study, the PERMA well-being in adults shows

high results in every dimension. This can be seen

from the mean scores of each PERMA dimension that

are above the median score. In addition, when

compared to the mean score in the general population,

there is a significant difference in the five dimensions.

Comparing with the sample in the general population

study, the number of samples in this research is

regarded very limited. Therefore, we need to be

careful in interpreting the significance differences of

these mean scores. However, this finding is very

interesting because none of the mean scores of the

five PERMA dimensions in this research is below the

mean scores of the general population. The

Engagement dimension in adults as the dimension

with the highest mean score is the main finding in this

study. It is following the findings in previous

research, both in PERMA research in Indonesian

society (Dewi & Rosyida, 2017) and in the general

population in the world (Butler & Kern, 2016).

This shows that the respondents focus on

something that is being done and really feel fully

involved with what is being done.

This involvement

is a psychological involvement related to daily

activities (e.g., pervasive feelings, interest, and

involvement in life). Individuals with high

Engagement will focus on something that is done and

feel pleased from it. They will also be fully involved

with something that is being done. When this happens

it will help them feel more prosperous. This is in line

with previous research, that is “Well-being study in

Indonesian society” which also shows that the

Engagement dimension is the most dominant

dimension emerging from other dimensions of

PERMA (Dewi & Rosyida, 2017).

The second-highest mean score is the

Relationship dimension that is related to building

positive relationships with the people around

individuals. It complies with the culture of Indonesian

society which is more collective. Collective society

has stronger ties with partners, families, and even

with the surrounding community. By having a

positive bond with the people around them,

Table 5: Independent samples t-test result comparing mean scores of adult in Indonesia and general population groups for

each PERMA dimension.

PERMA

Dimension

Adult in Indonesia (2021) General Population (Butler and Kern, 2016)

N Mean SD N Mean SD T p Cohen’s d

Positive Emotion 112 7.56 1.60821 31965 6.69 1.97 4,67 <0.00001 0,48

Engagement 112 8.03 1.45864 31962 7.25 1.71 4,82 <0.00001 0,49

Relation 112 7.67 1.70512 31940 6.90 2.15 3,79 0.000125 0,4

Meaning 112 7.57 1.70713 31931 7.06 2.17 2,48 0.00724 0,26

Accomplishment 112 7.61 1.47945 31963 7.21 1.78 2,38 0.009633 0,24

All scales range from 0 to 10, where 0 = lowest and 10 = highest

PERMA: A Multidimensional Framework of Well-being in Indonesian Adults

493

individuals will feel more prosperous since they have

a Positive Relationship with their environment at

large (Bejanyan et al., 2015).

Another similarity that is found between this

research and research in the general population

(Butler & Kern, 2016) is that the Positive Emotion

dimension has the lowest mean score. In general

population research, it is explained that increasing

positive emotion is one of the most significant ways

to improve well-being in individuals. Moreover, there

is a lot of research focusing on the importance of

Positive Emotion in increasing the well-being of

individuals. One research that specifically discussed

Positive Emotion and well-being stated that the

development of positive emotion is positively

correlated with the development of psychological

resilience and physical health, both of which will help

individuals to achieve happiness and well-being (Le

Nguyen & Fredrickson, 2018). However, this finding

is contrary to the previous research on the study of the

well-being of the Indonesian people which showed

that Positive emotion was one of the 2 dimensions

with the highest mean score besides the Engagement

dimension. This becomes an interesting finding, and

it will be a good starting point for further research on

PERMA, especially related to the Positive emotion

dimension. Respondents experience Positive

Emotion as a general appreciation that leads to an

evaluation of their quality of life. In contrast, in

theory, the types of Positive Emotion (joy, gratitude,

serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement,

inspiration, awe) will be more experienced when

individuals are mindful of every activity they do.

Experiencing more Positive Emotion in every activity

will help individuals to find meaning in their lives.

The next finding is that each PERMA dimension

in this research is positively correlated with each

other with a moderate value. This strengthens the

findings from other research such as the PERMA

study on the Classical Musician professionals

(Ascenso et al., 2018), the cross-cultural comparison

of the PERMA model of well-being research (Khaw

& Kern, 2015) and PERMA research on the general

population in the world (Butler & Kern, 2016).

Specifically, the highest correlation between

dimensions found in the classical musician and

general population studies is similar to the findings in

this study which shows that the highest correlation is

found between the Positive emotion and Meaning

dimensions. This is in line with the theory that

explains by living Positive emotion in the process of

achieving goals will help individuals attain meaning

in life (Steger, 2018). Other research also suggests

that positive emotion be a core part of well-being or

flourishing (Huppert & So, 2013).

From the process and the results of this research,

there are some notes gathered related to things that

need further attention for the development of this

research. It appears that the number of respondents

attained in this research is very minimal to represent

adults in Indonesia. This has an impact on the results

of this research, which can only be used to describe

the PERMA well-being of the respondents of this

research only. Hence, the results of this study cannot

be generalized to every adult in Indonesia. However,

this subject will continue to be studied and further

research will be conducted, particularly related to

Positive Emotion & Meaning.

4 CONCLUSIONS

PERMA well-being is a comprehensive concept of

welfare which states that human well-being,

including hedonic and eudaimonic, is built from 5

dimensions: Positive Emotion, Engagement,

Relationship, Meaning, and Accomplishment

(PERMA). From this research, it can be concluded

that the respondents’ well-being is considered high,

with Engagement dimension producing the highest

mean score and Meaning dimension producing the

lowest mean score among the five PERMA

dimension. Furthermore, each PERMA dimension is

positively correlated with each other. This shows that

each dimension will support each other to form

respondents’ well-being. To get a more optimal well-

being, it is recommended to increase the Positive

Emotion and Meaning dimensions. Positive emotion

dimension can be increased by practicing

mindfulness, Gratitude Jounal, and creating Positive

Experiences. Meanwhile, meaning dimension can be

increased by spending time with activity that really

improve the sense of meaning in life, such as

volunteering, performing acts of kindness in daily

activity. Regarding the limited number of

respondents, which becomes the limitation of this

study, it is highly recommended that further research

obtain a more significant number of respondents and

collect specific demographic data such as

geographical location, socio-economic status, etc.

Therefore, the results can be generalized for

Indonesian adults as a whole. In addition, it is also

highly recommended to link PERMA well-being with

other factors that affect well-being, such as physical

and spiritual health, flow, gratitude, and happiness.

This will develop an understanding related to well-

being in Indonesian adults.

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