A Causal Model of Sufficiency Economy Philosophy in Life Quality Development of the Elderly According to Buddhist Psychology

Abstract

Research article on A Causal model of Sufficiency economy philosophy in life quality development of the elderly according to Buddhist psychology. Objectives of the study were (1) to study the elements of the sufficiency economy philosophy in the life quality development of the elderly according to Buddhist psychology (2) to create a hypothesis causal model of Sufficiency economy philosophy in life quality development of the elderly according to Buddhist psychology and (3) to validate a causal model of Sufficiency economy philosophy in life quality development of the elderly according to Buddhist psychology with empirical data. Mixed Research Methods using quantitative research to extend qualitative results was used for research design. The key informants for the qualitative research methods consisted of 32 specialists in Sufficiency economy philosophy, Buddhism, Psychology, and life quality development of the elderly, selected by purposive sampling method. Moreover, the quantitative research methods, the simple random sampling of probability sampling method was used to get 770 samples of the elderly in Kamphaeng Phet province. The Research instruments were in-depth interviews and the questionnaires. Qualitative data were analyzed by using content analysis and analytic induction. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlation, and to validate model with the empirical data using LISREL program. Research results were shown as follows: (1) the elements of Sufficiency economy philosophy in life quality development of the elderly according to Buddhist psychology consisted of the Sufficiency economy philosophy, Conditions of Knowledge and moral, Bhavana IV, Self-extreme and life quality development of the elderly according to Buddhist psychology (2) the hypothesis causal model of Sufficiency economy philosophy in life quality development of the elderly according to Buddhist psychology, it indicated that the hypothesis causal model consisted of 5 latent variables: 2 Exogenous latent Variables which were 1) the Conditions of knowledge and moral 2) the Sufficiency economy philosophy and also 3 Endogenous latent Variables which were 1) the life quality development of the elderly according to Buddhist psychology and 2 other factors that caused to have were the mediator variables in the model, namely 2) Bhavana IV and 3) Self-extreme. Furthermore, there were consisted of totally 20 observed variables. (3) The results showed there were 2 causal models:  1) A causal model of Sufficiency economy philosophy in life quality development of the elderly according to Buddhist psychology consisted of Bhavana IV as a mediator variable was fit with the empirical data, Chi-Square = 80.05, df = 61, P-value = 0.051, GFI = 0.99, AGFI = 0.97 and RMSEA = 0.020, indirect influence upon life quality development of the elderly according to Buddhist psychology (QUAL) = 0.78 at statistically significant value of 0.01. 2) A causal model of Sufficiency economy philosophy in life quality development of the elderly according to Buddhist psychology consisted of Self-extreme as a mediator variable was fit with the empirical data, Chi-Square = 77.90, df = 63, P-value = 0.098, GFI = 0.99, AGFI = 0.97 and RMSEA = 0.021, direct influence and indirect influence upon life quality development of the elderly according to Buddhist psychology (QUAL) = 0.57 and 0.15 at statistically significant value of 0.01.