Psychological Well-being of the Elderly: The Predicting Role of Self-directed Learning Readiness and the Internal Locus of Control

Psychological well-being is one of the important components of mental health in the elderly, and it is important to study the factor affecting on it. Therefore, the current study was conducted in Iran with the aim to investigate the role of self-directed learning readiness and the internal locus of control in predicting the psychological well-being of the elderly.

This study had a descriptive-analytic and correlational design. The statistical population included all male and female over 60 years of age in Ahvaz city. Among this population, 126 elderly adults (24 females and 102 males) were selected using available sampling method. The data were collected using the self-directed learning readiness Questionnaire, the internal-external locus of control Questionnaire and Psychological Well-being Scale. Data were analyzed by descriptive methods (mean and standard deviation) and multivariate covariance analysis using statistical software SPSS v.23 was analyzed.

Descriptive findings indicated that there were 24 female and 102 male and the mean age of the sample was 74.45. Also, the results showed that self-directed learning readiness and the internal locus of control are positively correlated with psychological well-being (P <0.001). Multivariate regression showed that self-directed learning readiness and the internal locus of control are predictors of psychological well-being among the elderly, and self-directed learning readiness is more effective than internal locus of control on the psychological well-being of the elderly.

Based on research findings, locus of control and self-directed learning readiness have a relationship with each other, moreover, these variables predicts psychological well-being in the elderly.