One of the important issues in today's world is the lack of happiness in people life. This issue can cause many problems in terms of people's satisfaction with their lives and their quality of life. The level of happiness of individuals can be influenced by various factors, one of these factors can be the ability to self-efficacy of individuals. In this way, those who have higher self-efficacy believe that they have high abilities and skills in dealing with different issues. As a result, they can succeed in dealing with various issues that will make them feel happy. Because they believe they have control over their life issues. Other influential factors can be self-regulation, meaning that individuals with higher self-regulation are able to agree with a wish, ability to start and stop activities according to situational requirements, ability to moderate activity, ability to postpone a desired topic or goal. And as a result, these abilities in a person make you feel relaxed by having control over different life situations and, consequently, more happiness. One of the most vulnerable groups of the society is girls who are suffering from lack of happiness due to various cultural and educational issues. Our attempt in this study is to examine the hypothesis that girls who have more self-regulation and higher self-efficacy have higher happiness. And the proof of this hypothesis helps us to better understand the importance of this subject, and to include self-regulation and self-efficacy training in the high school curriculum to create a higher level of happiness in society.

In terms of definition of happiness we can say, happiness improves individual and social functioning, helping people carry out their daily tasks effectively and appropriately, get their life on the right path, and ultimately become successful and useful in their individual and social life [1].

Happiness may be a matter of individual choice, but, we must emphasize that this is only part of the truth, and the other part is dependent on sociological analysis of the subject. If the human being is sociologically considered a part of a whole, which is the scope where the social existence occurs, the other side of the coin is the external world, or “the public sphere” as suggested by Jurgen Habermas, that is the territory of politics and social affairs [2].

In the distant past, people’s perceptions of happiness were associated with chance, as if an external force drove a person into doing an action. As the enlightenment era began, this belief began to change dramatically. At the time, people believed that reasoning and personal responsibility would make an individual competent enough to determine his fate independent of a ruler. Therefore, happiness has turned into a concept available to any person at all times and place. After a while, happiness has become a value in societies when individuals came to believe that they can be happy, they wish to be happy, and they should be happy, and happiness forms the foundation of universal well-being [3].

The definition of self-regulating variable, according to Bandura [4], is that self-regulation is the application of abilities and capabilities of self-guidance, self-control and autonomy. He believes that the capabilities are influenced by the belief of individuals in their selfefficacy in different activities and behaviors. Self-regulation is defined as the psychological efforts in controlling the inner state, processes and functioning in order to achieve the objectives described above [5].

The individuals who have lower level of happiness, score lower in psychological health and are less satisfied with life [6].

Individuals with low self-efficacy feel incapable of exercising control over their life events, losing their hopes once they fail to overcome hurdles even at the first attempt [7]. Low self-efficacy can undermine motivation, destroy wishes, interfere with cognitive abilities, and have a negative impact on physical health. Thus, it can be expected that self-efficacy has a relationship with the feeling of happiness [8].

Adolescence makes an individual prone to many problems. Adolescents usually face specific problems rarely experienced during childhood. These problems are different from those experienced during adulthood. Adolescents have yet to adjust themselves to their roles, so they tend to become confused, uncertain and anxious, and changes in the appearance are associated with changes in the mental image. Adolescence is the most complex and agitating stage of life. The problems arising at this stage are so great that adolescence can be regarded as a period of pressure and crisis. This period entails many changes in multiple aspects of life, being one of the most critical stages of life as an array of emotional developments occurs along with physical changes [9].

One of the most vulnerable groups is girls who are suffering from lack of happiness due to various cultural and educational issues. Especially for secondary high school students who have just picked up a separate educational path and have entered adolescence, it's important to have a happy life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-regulation and self-efficacy of female students with happiness and also the relationship between self-regulation and self-efficacy of female students. Our attempt in this study is to examine the hypothesis that girls who have more selfcontrol and higher self-efficacy have higher happiness. The proof of this hypothesis helps us to better understand the importance of this subject, and to incorporate self-regulation and self-efficacy in the curriculum of high schools in order to have a higher level of happiness in society. We also try to investigate the relationship between self-regulation and self-efficacy variables and to find out how the relationship between these two abilities is.

1. There is a relationship between the self-regulation and self-efficacy of the secondary high-school female students in Hamedan.

2. Happiness can be predicted based on the self-efficacy and self-regulation of secondary high-schools female students in Hamedan.

It was a cross-sectional study of correlational design, since it examined the relationships between predictor variables and criterion variables. The statistical population consists of 8143 female students of secondary high schools in Hamedan. The sample size was calculated by the method developed by Tupachenig and Fidel, as follows: 104+3=107. As the number 104 is constant in this formula, and the number 3 represents 3 variables in this research, but due to the number of samples being driven and easier to calculate, the final number of the sample is 110. Sampling was carried out by randomized multistage clustering method. Questionnaires were duplicated to produce enough copies for the sample size. Five high schools were chosen using multistage cluster sampling. A total of 110 students were randomly selected.

The students were briefed over the nature of questionnaires. According to the Ethical Guide to Clinical Trials, the competent authorities have been given access to the plan and trial guidelines. Predictive risks and complications are not considered for this study because the subjects completed only the relevant questionnaires and no clinical work has been done. All necessary measures are taken to respect the privacy of the samples and confidentiality of information about them. To obtain informed permission, information was provided to the subjects about the questionnaires, and it was specifically stated to them that this is a research process involving voluntary participation.

Data collection tools were as follows:

Oxford Happiness Inventory (OHI): The Oxford Happiness Inventory was developed by Argyle et al. [10]. It comprises 29 items. Each item consists of 4 options. The first option is score 0, the second option is score 1, the third option is score 2, and the fourth option is score 3. The final score of each individual ranges from 0 to 87. Higher scores indicate higher happiness. Internal consistency of the Oxford Happiness Inventory showed that all 29 items were highly correlated with the total score. Cronbach's Alpha for the entire list was 0.91. The Pearson correlation between the Oxford Happiness Inventory and the Beck depression inventory and the EPQ extraversion and neuroticism sub-scales were respectively -0.48, 0.48, and -0.38. The results confirm the convergent and discriminant validity of the Oxford Happiness Inventory.

Bouffard self-regulation questionnaire: The Bouffard self-regulation questionnaire comprises 14 items; it has been developed by Bouffard et al. [11]. The questionnaire was standardized by Kadivar [12]. Using Likert scale scoring, it ranges from strongly agree (score 5) to strongly disagree (score 1). The scores are from minimum of 14 to maximum 70. A score from 14 to 28 represents low self-regulation, 28 to 42 represents average self-regulation, and higher than 42 represents high self-regulation. Reliability coefficient of the questionnaire was 71% calculated by Kadivar based on Cronbach's alpha. The reliability of the cognitive strategy sub-scale was reported to be 70% and meta-cognitive sub-scale was 68%. The results from the factor analysis indicated that correlation coefficient between the items was appropriate and that the measurement tool consists of two factors. The weight of values relevant to the factors was appropriate.

Self-efficacy questionnaire for children and adolescents (SEO-C): The self-efficacy questionnaire for children and adolescents has been developed by Maurice [13], adapting the questionnaire developed by Bandura et al. [14]. It has 24 items that represent three sub-tests of social self-efficacy, academic self-efficacy, and emotional self-efficacy. It measures the ability of the subjects in different situations. To score the questionnaire, the subjects should score the items as follows: very well: 5; well: 4; somewhat: 3; a little 2; not at all: 1. The scores range was 23-115 for general self-efficacy, 8-40 for social and academic self-efficacy, and 7-35 for emotional self-efficacy. Tahmasian [15] found the internal consistency of scales to be 0.73, social self-efficacy 0.66, emotional self-efficacy 0.84, and academic self-efficacy 0.74. The test-retest reliability was reported to be 0.89 for the general scale, 0.81 social self-efficacy, 0.88 emotional self-efficacy, and 0.87 for academic self-efficacy.

Data analysis methods

Data was analysed by SPSS 24. The analysis methods were as follows: Descriptive statistics applying the frequency table and index of dispersion; and, inferential statistics applying the Kolmogorov- Smirnov test to examine normal distribution of data, correlation coefficient, and multiple regression. The hypotheses were tested using the Baron and Kenny method.

To predict happiness based on the self-efficacy and self-regulation of the female students of secondary high schools of Hamedan in 2017-2018 academic year, after the subjects filled in the questionnaires, data was extracted, coded, and analysed.

Table 1 shows the results obtained from examining normal distribution of data for self-regulation, self-efficacy and happiness by the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, with the results indicating that the self-regulation, self-efficacy and happiness variables have normal distributions.

Table 1: Normal distribution of data from research variables.

Results from the Pearson correlation presented in Table 2 showed that there was a significant relationship between the self-efficacy and self-regulation and happiness among female students of secondary high-schools in Hamedan. Results presented in Table 3 showed that there was a significant relationship between the self-efficacy and self-regulation of the female students.

Table 2: The relationship between self-efficacy and self-regulation and happiness of female students (n=110).

Table 3: The relationship between self-efficacy and self-regulation of female students (n=110).

In relation to the first hypothesis, which suggests that on the basis of self-regulation and self-efficacy of female high school students in Hamadan, according to the results, one can predict students' happiness based on self-regulation and self-efficacy. Therefore, the first hypothesis was confirmed that these results are in line with the results of the research of Hassannia et al. [16]. In explaining these results, it can be said that happiness and mental health are considered as the most important factors in the promotion and development of mankind. Happy people are more satisfied with their personal, social and family life. The World Health Organization defines mental health as a complete ability to play social, psychological and physical roles.

People with mental health are less likely than others to suffer from mental disorders. Self-regulation leads to self-esteem because, whenever individuals develop in accordance with the criteria they consider to be, this self-improvement increases the sense of inner satisfaction of the individual, so that this progress is regarded as a success and a sense of happiness [17].

On the other hand, people who have high self-efficacy believe that they have the ability to deal with different issues and solve problems, and this ability helps them to focus on different subjects and control them. Therefore, as presented in the introduction, individuals who have the ability to self-control and self-efficacy feel happier because of the control they feel about the issues in their lives. In fact, they do not feel weak and ineffective, and they do not consider themselves helpless. They know they have the ability to control life and choose different solutions. And this awareness brings happiness to their lives. In fact, it can be said that people who know their own control of their own lives are those who are happier than those who feel helpless and compelled to live.

Also in relation to the second hypothesis of the study, which deals with the relationship between self-regulation and self-efficacy of high school female students, according to the results, it can be concluded that there is a meaningful relationship between self-regulation and students self-efficacy. Therefore, the second hypothesis was confirmed that these results are in line with the researches of Ahmadi et al. and Zimmerman [18,19]. In explaining the results, it can be said that internal motivation is the natural motive that spontaneously emanates from the needs of individuals to competency and autonomy. Therefore, external events cannot motivate individuals, but they can be used to help internal motivation that already exists. Therefore, with the deliberate use of external events, in addition to the external motivation of individuals, they can also help their internal motivation. Self-regulation learning by using appropriate cognitive and metacognitive strategies is trying to increase the students’ learning and understanding and concentration; therefore, it improves the performance of students, as a result of which student anxiety will decrease and increase emotional self-efficacy. As a result, self-regulation learning training with the use of cognitive and self-regulating strategies promotes students' skills in their tasks, enabling students to follow homework assignments and related issues. Hence they can be successful in solving problems and trust themselves and ultimately have a sense of adequacy and self-efficacy.

In general, the results of this study showed that in a self-regulation and self-efficacy model to predict the happiness of high school female students in regression equation, these variables can predict the happiness of female students. As a result, the findings indicate the importance of self-regulation and self-efficacy in predicting the happiness of female students. Therefore, it is recommended that planners and authorities, based on the results of this research and similar studies, design programs to improve the happiness of female students, especially through self-regulation self-esteem training.

Concerning the importance and necessity of this research, one of the symptoms of mental health among the society is the high level of happiness among them. As adolescents are in a period that may feel more dissatisfied with their lives, the issue of increasing happiness among them becomes more important. This research can be a guide for parents and schools to discover that they can increase their happiness by increasing self-regulation and self-efficacy skills in their children. And, of course, such children will be happier in the future with better life-skills and problem-solving. Because they find they have the ability to control things and can make their lives as they want. And ultimately, a society with higher levels of happiness will have a higher level of health.

Among the limitations of the research, it can be noted that since this study was conducted only on girls of the secondary high school, so that the generalization of the results for different age groups and boys should be followed with caution. Considering the importance of happiness in every person's life, and according to the results of the research, it is recommended that parents and teachers teach their students self-regulation and self-efficacy skills, So that they can raise their level of happiness and feel more satisfied with their lives.