All effective psychotherapies offer three basic benefits, as noted in Psychology in Everyday Life: hope for demoralized people; a new perspective on oneself and the world; and an empathic, trusting, caring relationship. Take this simple test, from famed hope researcher C. R. Snyder, to assess your own hopefulness.
Bolt, M. (2012). Instructor’s Resources. New York: Worth Publishers.
Snyder, C. R. (1994). The psychology of hope: You can get from here to there. New York: Free Press.
Snyder, C. R. (2013). Making hope happen: Create the future you want for yourself and others. New York: Atria Books.
Read each of the following items carefully, and select the number that best describes you.
EFP2tYYHa0nF0vVXal3ANfIpBrNq3jXFdh+G8KTfHGWDWA0Bo9ci4hNFy8oQKBt+e3sJ+0QjFgIFnHJB0+m0Tsdq4tx5gEWXu2zVitXYg9Fp4mmX 1. I energetically pursue my goals.
EFP2tYYHa0nF0vVXal3ANfIpBrNq3jXFdh+G8KTfHGWDWA0Bo9ci4hNFy8oQKBt+e3sJ+0QjFgIFnHJB0+m0Tsdq4tx5gEWXu2zVitXYg9Fp4mmX 2. I can think of many ways to get out of a jam.
EFP2tYYHa0nF0vVXal3ANfIpBrNq3jXFdh+G8KTfHGWDWA0Bo9ci4hNFy8oQKBt+e3sJ+0QjFgIFnHJB0+m0Tsdq4tx5gEWXu2zVitXYg9Fp4mmX 3. My past experiences have prepared me well for my future.
EFP2tYYHa0nF0vVXal3ANfIpBrNq3jXFdh+G8KTfHGWDWA0Bo9ci4hNFy8oQKBt+e3sJ+0QjFgIFnHJB0+m0Tsdq4tx5gEWXu2zVitXYg9Fp4mmX 4. There are lots of ways around any problem.
EFP2tYYHa0nF0vVXal3ANfIpBrNq3jXFdh+G8KTfHGWDWA0Bo9ci4hNFy8oQKBt+e3sJ+0QjFgIFnHJB0+m0Tsdq4tx5gEWXu2zVitXYg9Fp4mmX 5. I’ve been pretty successful in life.
EFP2tYYHa0nF0vVXal3ANfIpBrNq3jXFdh+G8KTfHGWDWA0Bo9ci4hNFy8oQKBt+e3sJ+0QjFgIFnHJB0+m0Tsdq4tx5gEWXu2zVitXYg9Fp4mmX 6. I can think of many ways to get the things done in life that are most important to me.
EFP2tYYHa0nF0vVXal3ANfIpBrNq3jXFdh+G8KTfHGWDWA0Bo9ci4hNFy8oQKBt+e3sJ+0QjFgIFnHJB0+m0Tsdq4tx5gEWXu2zVitXYg9Fp4mmX 7. I meet the goals that I set for myself.
EFP2tYYHa0nF0vVXal3ANfIpBrNq3jXFdh+G8KTfHGWDWA0Bo9ci4hNFy8oQKBt+e3sJ+0QjFgIFnHJB0+m0Tsdq4tx5gEWXu2zVitXYg9Fp4mmX 8. Even when others get discouraged, I know I can find a way to solve the problem.
Your Score
Your total HOPE score is: {model.total} (Range of 8–32; mean/average of 24)
Your AGENCY SUBSCALE score is: {model.agencytotal} (Range of 4–16; mean/average of 12)
Your PATHWAYS SUBSCALE score is: {model.pathtotal} (Range of 4–16; mean/average of 12)
Hope, suggests C. R. Snyder, contrasts sharply with depression. It involves willpower and “waypower” to reach future goals. AGENCY is the willpower or energy needed to keep moving toward your goals. PATHWAYS is the waypower, or perceived ability to generate routes to achieve those goals. The mean (average) score for each subscale is 12, making the average total HOPE score 24. Higher scores reflect more hope.
Those with greater hope set more challenging goals for themselves. Moreover, they have objectives that are concrete and vivid. They are routinely optimistic and view obstacles as invigorating challenges rather than as insurmountable. Hopeful people are skilled at finding alternative routes to their goals and thus enjoy higher levels of achievement.
Fostering hope begins with identifying and prioritizing our goals. Positive self-talk strengthens our motivation and our search for appropriate pathways. Rehearsing the process, not simply the destination, promotes goal attainment.
But what about life’s inevitable disappointments, such as a poor grade on a test? To sustain our willpower, it can help to interpret setbacks in terms of causes that are external (I’m not a bad student, but only missed that key review session due to illness), temporary (I will do better on the next test), and specific (my poor grade relates to that one test only and not to my overall abilities as a student).
Hope survives best in community. Hopeful people have a strong support network and join with others in the pursuit of collective well-being.
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