The mediating role of time perspective in the relationship between religious orientation and quality of life

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 MS. in general psychology, Department of clinical psychology, Karaj branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran

2 Professor, Department of clinical psychology, Karaj branch, Islamic Azad University, Karaj, Iran

3 Assistant professor, Department of psychology, Astara branch, Islamic Azad University, Astara, Iran

Abstract

Introduction: The present study was aimed at determining some predictors of quality of life and according to previous theories and studies, a model was designed which time perspective mediates the relationship between religious orientation and quality of life.
Materials and Methods: In the present study which uses the correlative method and structural equation modeling, 412 students from 10 colleges of Islamic Azad University, Karaj Branch, participated and completed Allport religious orientation scale, Zimbardo time perspective inventory, and WHO-QOL BREF. Data analyzed by structural equation modeling using SPSS and AMOS software.
Results: Findings demonstrate that religious orientation subscales have an indirect significant correlation with quality of life and time perspective mediates this relationship. Intrinsic religious orientation, positively, and extrinsic religious orientation, negatively, predict the quality of life. Three subscales of time perspective including past positive, present hedonistic and future, positively, and two other subscales called past negative and present fatalistic, negatively predict the quality of life. Further, intrinsic religious orientation has positive correlations with past positive and future and negative correlations with past negative and present fatalistic; extrinsic religious orientation has positive correlations with past negative, present hedonistic and present fatalistic and a negative correlation with future.
 Conclusion: The results indicate that unlike extrinsic religious orientation, intrinsic religious orientation has a positive correlation with ideal time perspective and quality of life; therefore, it is possible to improve students' quality of life, by reinforcing their intrinsic religious orientation, through a series of psychological workshops in university.

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