نشریه علمی پژوهشی طب انتظامی Journal of Police Medicine
Volume 14, Issue 1 (2025)
J Police Med 2025, 14(1) |
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Ethics code: IR.IAU.SEMNAN.REC.1405.013
Clinical trials code: IR.IAU.SEMNAN.REC.1405.013
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eh Baraftabi N, Jahan F, Yaghoobi A, Taher M. Effects of a Positive Psychology-Based Educational Protocol on Cognitive-Motivational Hope and Aggression among Soldiers: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Study. , J Police Med. 2025; 14 (1) : e18
URL: http://jpmed.ir/article-1-1375-en.html
URL: http://jpmed.ir/article-1-1375-en.html
1- Department of Psychology, Semnan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Semnan, Iran
2- Department of Psychology, Semnan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Semnan, Iran ,faezeh.jahan@iau.ac.ir
3- Department of Psychology, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
4- Department of Psychology, Shahrood Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrood, Iran
2- Department of Psychology, Semnan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Semnan, Iran ,
3- Department of Psychology, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
4- Department of Psychology, Shahrood Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrood, Iran
English Extended Abstract: (28 Views)
Aims: Military environments may expose soldiers to psychological and behavioral challenges because of their hierarchical structure, communication restrictions, disciplinary pressures, and collective living conditions. This study aimed to develop and preliminarily evaluate the effects of a positive psychology-based educational protocol on cognitive-motivational hope and aggression among soldiers.
Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in two stages. First, a positive psychology-based educational protocol consisting of eight 90-minute group sessions was developed, and its content validity was evaluated by 10 experts. In the second stage, 40 soldiers were randomly allocated to an intervention group or a control group, with 20 participants in each group. The intervention group received the educational protocol, whereas the control group received the unit’s usual services. Data were collected using the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire and Snyder’s Adult Hope Scale. The total hope score was calculated using the eight substantive items, excluding the four distractor items. Baseline characteristics were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test and Fisher’s exact test. The primary analysis compared change scores between the two groups using the Mann–Whitney U test. Within-group changes were examined using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
Findings: The mean content validity ratio and content validity index of the protocol were 0.89 and 0.91, respectively. At baseline, no significant differences were observed between the groups in total hope or aggression scores. However, the distribution of educational level differed significantly between the groups (P=0.010). At posttest, significant between-group differences were found in total hope (P=0.003) and total aggression scores (P<0.001). Comparisons of change scores also indicated significant between-group differences in the pattern of change in total hope (P=0.041) and total aggression (P=0.005). Within the intervention group, significant changes from pretest to posttest were observed in total hope (P=0.028) and aggression (P=0.018), whereas no significant change in total hope was observed in the control group.
Conclusion: The positive psychology-based educational protocol demonstrated satisfactory content validity, and its implementation was associated with statistically significant changes in cognitive-motivational hope and aggression among soldiers. Given the limited sample size, absence of an active control group, baseline imbalance in educational level, and lack of follow-up assessment, the findings should be interpreted as preliminary evidence. Larger multicenter studies using active control conditions and follow-up assessments are needed to confirm these findings.
Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in two stages. First, a positive psychology-based educational protocol consisting of eight 90-minute group sessions was developed, and its content validity was evaluated by 10 experts. In the second stage, 40 soldiers were randomly allocated to an intervention group or a control group, with 20 participants in each group. The intervention group received the educational protocol, whereas the control group received the unit’s usual services. Data were collected using the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire and Snyder’s Adult Hope Scale. The total hope score was calculated using the eight substantive items, excluding the four distractor items. Baseline characteristics were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test and Fisher’s exact test. The primary analysis compared change scores between the two groups using the Mann–Whitney U test. Within-group changes were examined using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.
Findings: The mean content validity ratio and content validity index of the protocol were 0.89 and 0.91, respectively. At baseline, no significant differences were observed between the groups in total hope or aggression scores. However, the distribution of educational level differed significantly between the groups (P=0.010). At posttest, significant between-group differences were found in total hope (P=0.003) and total aggression scores (P<0.001). Comparisons of change scores also indicated significant between-group differences in the pattern of change in total hope (P=0.041) and total aggression (P=0.005). Within the intervention group, significant changes from pretest to posttest were observed in total hope (P=0.028) and aggression (P=0.018), whereas no significant change in total hope was observed in the control group.
Conclusion: The positive psychology-based educational protocol demonstrated satisfactory content validity, and its implementation was associated with statistically significant changes in cognitive-motivational hope and aggression among soldiers. Given the limited sample size, absence of an active control group, baseline imbalance in educational level, and lack of follow-up assessment, the findings should be interpreted as preliminary evidence. Larger multicenter studies using active control conditions and follow-up assessments are needed to confirm these findings.
Article number: e18
Article Type: Original Research |
Subject:
Police Related Psychology
Received: 2026/07/11 | Accepted: 2026/10/11 | Published: 2026/10/27
Received: 2026/07/11 | Accepted: 2026/10/11 | Published: 2026/10/27
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