The Effectiveness of Positive Education Program Based on PERMA Model on Positive Thinking and Life Expectance in Older Adults

The changes that occur in old age may lead to decreased health and life expectancy in older adults. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a positive education program based on the PERMA model on positive thinking and life expectancy in older men. This was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population included all retired men registered at the Noorabad Mamasani retirement center in 2022. The sample consisted of 40 individuals selected using a convenience sampling method and according to inclusion and exclusion criteria and randomly assigned into two control and experimental groups. The instruments used in this study were the Khodayarifard et al.’s Iranian Positive Thinking Scale and Miller hope Scale. After random selection, the experimental group received ten 90-minute weekly positive educational sessions based on the PERMA model. After the treatment was completed, post-tests were administered to both groups. Univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the data. The results showed that the positive education program based on the PERMA model led to an increase in positive thinking and life expectancy in the experimental group compared to the control group. The findings of this research emphasize the importance of the education program based on the PERMA in improving positive thinking and life expectancy in older men. Therefore, it is beneficial to use this education program to support older adults.
EXTENDED ABSTRACT
 
Introduction
Focusing on the good life is not new but remains an important topic as increased well-being can protect against several health problems. Age is particularly crucial to consider when it comes to a good life, as motivations change throughout the lifespan. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a positive education program based on the PERMA model on positive thinking and life expectancy in older men. The PERMA model provides factors for high states of wellbeing, including positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishments. This led to the first research question, which aimed to determine if the PERMA model sufficiently describes a good life, according to perceptions of people at different ages. The second research question aimed to explore whether perceptions of a good life differ among age groups. With the goal of providing positive psychology a tool to help people flourish and promote a good life, Seligman formulated the PERMA model. Initially, he considered “happiness” the major element of a good life in his “Authentic Happiness Theory” (Seligman, 2004), with positive emotion, meaning, and engagement describing happiness. However, research showed that the authentic happiness theory referred more to people's mood than to “happiness” as an overall well-being construct. Later, Seligman (2011) presented his new well-being theory or PERMA model, including five elements: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. To flourish, all these elements must be present, and each can be raised.
Method
This was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population included all retired men registered at the Noorabad Mamasani retirement center in 2022. The sample consisted of 40 individuals randomly selected from volunteers participating in this study, whose scores were two standard deviations below the mean in the measures of the study. They were randomly divided into two groups of control and experimental. The instruments used in this study were the Khodayari Fard et al.’s Iranian positive thinking scale and the Miller hope Scale. The experimental group received ten 90-minute weekly positive education program sessions based on the PERMA model. After the treatment was completed, post-test was administered to both groups. Univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the data.
Results
The mean age of participants was 65.36 years in the experimental group and 64.96 years in the control group. Mean and deviation of positive thinking and life expectancy in the older men of the experimental and control groups showed increased scores in the experimental group (positive education program based on the PERMA model). Before conducting data analysis, it was determined that the distribution of scores was normal (P>0.05), and the assumption of similar variances was observed in the experimental and control groups (P>0.05). Besides, the assumption of equality of the observed covariance matrices of the dependent variable in the groups was fulfilled (P<0.05). The results in Table 1 show a significant difference between the experimental and control groups, indicating that the positive education program based on the PERMA was effective in improving positive thinking and life expectancy in older men. According to Table 1, the F statistics for the positive thinking and life expectancy in the post-test were 34.85 and 67.21, respectively. These statistics are significant at the 0.01 level, indicating a significant difference between the two groups in terms of these variables.
Conclusion
The results showed that the education program based on the PERMA model effectively improved positive thinking and life expectancy in older adults. The explanation of the first hypothesis demonstrated that the education program has a substantial impact on positive thinking, suggesting that this intervention can have long-term effects on older adults’ perceptions and psychological health. By emphasizing aspects of well-being, the PERMA model may potentially buffer the older adult population against poor mental health by enhancing subjective happiness and mental well-being.
The PERMA education program helps older adults discover meaning and purpose in their lives, enabling them to establish positive social relationships, promoting social integration, and receiving social support. Through the use of this education program, older adults are equipped to solve problems, find suitable solutions, and attain psychological satisfaction. Furthermore, the education program aids older adults in facing challenges of life, establishing positive relationships, and achieving their goals.
Ethical Consideration
Ethical Code
To comply with ethical standards in the research, this study, derived from a master’s thesis, was preregistered at Yasouj University.
Financial Support
This research was not sponsored by any institution, with all costs borne by the authors.
Authors’ Contributions
N.A: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing – Original Draft, Writing – Review & Editing, Project Administration, Supervision; A.T: Software, Validation, Formal Analysis, Data Curation, Visualization.
Conflict of Interest
The author had no conflicts of interest.
Acknowledgments
The authors express their gratitude to all participants whose contributions were integral to the completion of this research.
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