J. Psych. Beh. Stud. Vol., 3 (2), 43-47, 2015

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1 The Relationship between Psychological Hardiness and Quality of Life among Teachers of District one High Schools of Urmia City JPBS JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY & BEHAVIORAL STUDIES Vol 3 (2): ISSN: Copyright 2015 Sara Moradi 1,2, Ali Shaker 1,2* 1 Department of Psychology, West Azarbaijan Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran 2 Department of Psychology, Urmia Branch, Islamic Azad University, Urmia, Iran * Corresponding Author: Ali Shaker ABSTRACT The present study aimed at examining the relationship between psychological hardiness and quality of life among teachers of district one high schools of Urmia city. Method of the study was descriptive of correlation type. 296 teachers from district one high schools of Urmia city participated in this study in random sampling method. Psychological hardiness and SF36 life quality questionnaires were used. Data were analyzed using Pearson s correlation coefficient and regression. Results showed a meaningful relationship between psychological hardiness and its dimensions with quality of life. Other results also showed that life quality may be predicted by psychological hardiness. Generally, it may be concluded that life quality can be improved by instructing psychological hardiness. KEYWORDS Psychological Hardiness, Life Quality, Teachers of District one High Schools. INTRODUCTION In every society, the main factor of advancement is efficient man force and today, those countries are rich and developed with more efficient and capable. Therefore, paying attention to man force, especially teachers who teach young adults in a sensitive section of their life, has a high priority in today world. In line with this fact, paying attention to the level and quality of life can be considered among those categories that effects and dominates other parts of their lives; that is, if people enjoy a desirable quality of life, they may perform successfully in other aspects of their lives. Desirable quality of life has always been a wish for man. At the beginning, welfare and longer life time meant better quality of life. But today, quality of life is the opposite point of quantity, defined regarding expanded aspects of health, which means years of life that are passed with contentment, happiness, and joy (Ghasemi, Kajbaf, Rabiyi, 2011). Some researchers consider quality of life as a dynamic and mental structure which addresses comparison between past life conditions and recent events in all positive and negative aspects; mental nature of life quality addresses people s recognition about the status of their life instead of reports by others, originating from the definition provided by Frantz and Poros for contentment and discontentment in those areas of life that are important for a person (Heidari & Jafari, 2007). Therefore, in this ever changing world, changes that take place in work place, and 43

2 conditions that teachers face may impose irreparable damages both in their personal and their occupational and social life, if they do not easily concord and be compatible with those changes. Hardiness is a set of personal features, acting as the source of resistance against life pressures. Sense of considerable curiosity, tending to have interesting and meaningful experiences, believing in effectiveness of what is mentally imagined, the expectation that change is something natural, and every important incentive may lead to growth and advancement, self-assertion and strength, ability of perseverance and resistance, may be useful in compatibility with difficult events of life. The logic behind selecting these features, are optimistic cognitive assessments that may lead to individual s meaningful recognition about their characteristics, and hence people turn difficult events into more bearable ones (Shokoohi Fard, Hamid, Soudani, 2013). In other words, hardiness is a personal characteristic that may moderate the method of dealing with stressors in individuals, that is, it helps them in successful analysis of stressing situation. Sussan Auwelt Cubasa (1979) introduces hardiness as a complex personal feature consisting of three elements of challenge, control, and commitment (Narimani & Abbasi, 2009). Therefore, the present study intends to answer this question that is there a relationship between psychological hardiness and quality of life among teachers of district one high schools of Urmia city? MATERIALS AND METHODS The method of this study was of correlation type. The statistical population consisted of all teachers of district one high schools of Urmiain the first half of academic year counting up to 919 teachers, where 296 out of them participated in this study according to Morgan s table and in random sampling method. Life quality variable criteria and psychological hardiness variable were predicting variables, and control, level of education, and gender were control variables. At the stage of carrying the study out, after giving preliminary explanations about measurement tool and the purpose of the test, method of answering the test was explained to the participants in details. Regarding moral considerations, after obtaining written consent from the individuals and giving necessary information to them, they were assured that the received information will be used in this study only, and will be secured from any abuse. To measure the variables of the study, questionnaires were used as follows. Questionnaire of Psychological Hardiness This questionnaire consisted of 27 questions, and was designed by Najjari et al. (1998). They used two methods of retest and internal homogeneity in order to assess stability of AHI scale. Correlation coefficient between the test and retest was reported in a 6-week time interval in a 119 persons sample for girl and boy subjects as being 0.84 and 0.85, respectively. In inner homogeneity method questionnaire of psychological hardiness, Cronbach s alpha coefficient was used, where it was calculated to be 0.76 for all subjects, which is a fully acceptable coefficient. In this study, to examine the degree of stability, Cronbach s alpha coefficient was used, which was obtained as α = SF36 Questionnaire of Life uality In order to measure life quality, life quality questionnaire (SF36) was used, which is a proper tool for individuals to recognize their health, and was prepared by international organization of examining life quality, consisting 36 questions in two physical and mental major areas. This questionnaire s efficiency is proved for usages such as clinical work, assessment of health policies and studies of general population. This questionnaire is consisted of 36 phrases assessing 8 different areas of health. These eight micro-scales related to health are: physical performance, pain in the body, low performance, general health, freshness, social performance, emotional role, and mental health. The lowest score in this questionnaire is adjusted as zero and the highest is 100. Montazeri Vahdani and Gashtasbi Nia (2005) have reported Cronbach s alpha between 0.7 to 0.9. The present study 44

3 uses Cronbach s alpha in examining the rate of stability, where in life quality questionnaire of teachers it was obtained as α=0.68, which shows a desirable stability of measurement tool. Regression and Pearson s correlation were used for data analysis. Meaningfulness level in all analyses was considered to be p RESULTS Results of Kolmogorov-Smirnov test suggested that data distribution is normal (p 0.05). The results of Pearson s correlation showed a meaningful relationship between psychological hardiness and quality of life (r=0.395; p 0.001). Regression was used to examine the predictability of life quality from psychological hardiness. The results of the analysis showed a meaningful model (table 1). Table 1. Standard and non-standard coefficients of regression analysis. Non-standardized coefficients Standardized coefficients t Sig. Model B Scale error Beta 1 Fixed Psychological hardiness A: dependent variable: life quality According to table 1, the model of relationship between variables is as follows: Level of life quality= psychological hardiness Also the relationship between aspects of psychological hardiness and life quality was examined. Results of the analysis showed a meaningful relationship between aspects of psychological hardiness and life quality among the teachers (table 2, p.05). Table 2. Pearson s correlation coefficient between variables. Psychological hardiness Commitment Control Challenge Correlation coefficient ** ** ** Life quality Level of meaningfulness Number 296 ** Correlation is also meaningful at the level of (0.001 percent) DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION This study aimed at examining the relationship between psychological hardiness and life quality among teachers of district one high schools of Urmia city. Results showed a meaningful relationship between psychological hardiness and its aspects with life quality. Also, other results showed that life quality can be predicted from psychological hardiness. To clarify this findings, it may be said that hard-headed persons can act successfully in social situations and inter-personal relations with regards to commitment element which is believing in their value and capabilities in doing social activities and positive blend in inter-personal relations, which would increase person s positive attitude towards personal and social relations, and it will in turns lead to better quality of life. 45

4 Control element means believing that inter-personal issues and challenges are controllable, and that one may manage them with a better decision, which increases the level of individuals life quality. On the other hand, regarding the element of challenge in hard-headed people, that believes that inter-personal challenges are not catastrophic, but normal events of life that must be used as an opportunity to grow and advance personal skills, these people can easily cope with social stresses and use this situation as an opportunity to grow and advance personal skills. These people cope with social stresses well, and use this situation as an opportunity for growth, which leaves a positive effect on individual s social efficiency and increases life quality. One may say that life quality is related with individuals objectives, wishes and standards, having a close relationship with psychological hardiness as well as seeking meaning in life (Hossein Nejad, Shamsayi, Faramarzi, 2013). Also, findings of this study are in line with findings of Pour Akbari et al (2014), Dehghani and Bahraini (2014), Hossein Nejad, Shamsayi, and Faramarzi (2013), Haghighi et al (2013), Stoeber et al (2006), and Allen and Lachin (2009). Results of Shokoohi Fard and Soudani (2013) showed that instruction of psychological hardiness elements has led to increasing life quality among subjects of test group in comparison with evidence group at the stage of post-test. To clarify this result, it can be said that hardiness elements make an individual recognize purpose and meaning in life, and value of exciting life, learn patience and challenge in confrontation with difficulties, stand for difficult and stressing events, and also pushes an individual closer to him/herself, family, and society, and leads to increase in life quality. In an study aiming at examining the relationship between psychological hardiness and mental health with life quality, Shakeri Nia (2010) learnt that psychological hardiness and mental health have a meaningful relationship with life quality. Life quality, as a complex issue, is related with various elements, especially hardiness and perfectionism, each of which are very important and effective in their own place. Studies are in line with this result. Generally, findings of this study suggest that hardiness which is positively related with life quality, reduce negative effects of stress as a source of inner resistance, and prevent occurrence of physical and mental disorders. Maybe it can be said that hardheaded individuals utilize active method of problem solving, which is a method that converts mental pressure into a riskless experience, and therefore, level of concern is very low in hard-headed individuals in sensitive and stressing situations. Hang (2010) also believes that hard-headed people are hopeful for successful and efficient confrontation with stresses, unlike bitter events, are gifted with the ability of finding meaning in disturbing experiences, and believe in their own role as a valuable and important person. The result can be that firstly, psychological features of a person has a meaningful correlation with his/her life quality, and secondly, individual s psychological features overlap, and thirdly, the level of life quality of people may be increased through instructing individual s psychological features and through preparing them against stresses of life, factors and difficulties. REFERENCES Dehghani Y, Dehghani M, Bahraini M, Examining the Relationship between Spirituality, Hardiness, and Life Quality among Male High School Students, International congress of religious culture and though. Ellen J, Laughin S, Religion and Quality of Life in the Last Year of Life. Journal of Gerontology Social Science. 64: 258 Ghasemi N, Kajbaf MB, Rabiyi M, Effectiveness of Group Therapy Based on Life Quality on Mental Welfare and Mental Health. Journal of clinical psychology. (2)3. Haghighi M, Saki K, Mohaddesi H, Yavarian R, Salami L, Examining the Relationship between Psychological Hardiness and Life Quality among Women Family Trustees Working in the University of Medical Sciences and health Services of Western Azerbaijan Province. Journal of Urmia faculty of nursery and obstetrics. (5)11:

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