Efficacy of Surah Al-Rehman Listening Therapy on the Psychological Capital of Competitive Civil Service Candidates: A Quasi-Experimental Inquiry
Contributors
- Komal Usman Student of MS Clinical Psychology, Lahore School of Behavioral Sciences, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
- Dr. Wahida Anjum Associate Professor of Psychology, Lahore School of Behavioral Sciences, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
- Maryam Gul Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Psychology, Lahore College for Women University (LCWU), Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
Abstract
The Central Superior Services (CSS) examination in Pakistan demands high cognitive concentration, sustained academic effort and significant adaptive ability to academic failures. Psychological Capital (PsyCap), a higher-order construct of self-efficacy, hope, resilience, and optimism, is an important internal resource for optimizing performance and resisting stress in high-stakes evaluations. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a structured Surah Al-Rehman listening intervention on the PsyCap dimensions of Muslim CSS candidates (N=50) who failed the written examination and had low baseline PsyCap scores. A 7-day spiritual protocol was applied to participants, who were assessed with the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ-24) before and after. A single-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used, with participants being assessed with the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ-24) before and after the seven-day spiritual protocol. Overall PsyCap was significantly higher at posttest (M=4.48, SD=0.39) than at pretest (M=3.34, SD=0.41), t (49) =14.80, p<.001, d=2.09, and significant increases were found in the four subscales of PsyCap: self-efficacy, hope, resilience, and optimism (ds=1.77-1.92; p<.001). The PCQ-24 showed high internal consistency (α=.89). The results of this study suggest that spiritually integrated interventions may be useful in high stress academic settings. Findings of the study are discussed in the cultural context of Pakistan.
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Corresponding Author
Dr. Wahida Anjum
Associate Professor of Psychology, Lahore School of Behavioral Sciences, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
Corresponding Author: [email protected]
