The effect of Education Based on Positive Psychology on Future Orientation and Self-Efficacy in Female Students

Diverse individual and social factors have an effect on well-being, mental health and optimal performance; therefore, effective intervention seems necessary to improve and promote them. As a result, the purpose of the present study was to determine and investigate the effect of education based on positive psychology (PERMA model) on future orientation and self-efficacy of female students.

The present study used a semi-experimental design using pre-test, post-test and follow-up (one month after the post-test) with control group. The experimental group was instructed in the PERMA package, and the control group was placed on the waiting list. The statistical population of the present study were all the female students of high school of Yasuj, Iran, in the academic year of 2021-2022. The sampling method was multi-stage clusters and the tools used were the future orientation questionnaire by Maggio et al. (2016) and the Morris students' self-efficacy scale (2001). The collected data were analyzed using analysis of covariance statistical tests.

The results indicated that the effect of the PERMA model on future orientation in the Perma intervention and control groups in the post-test was significant and positive; That is, education based on positive psychology leads to improvement of future orientation and resilience in the post-exam. The second finding of the present research revealed that the effect of PERMA model training on students' self-efficacy in the post-test was positive. That is to say, education based on positive psychology leads to an increase in cognitive, motivational and metacognitive components of self-efficacy (P<0/05).

The results indicated that more attention should be paid to the processes of planning and implementing intervention and combining both positive and negative characteristics of human performance. Therefore, training and practice based on positive psychology focused on awareness can establish the design and implementation of many interventions.