| With the recent acknowledgement that positive emotions have been relatively neglected in psychology, researchers have been calling for more research on human strengths and virtues. One such attribute is hope, which can help initiate and sustain action and has been linked to health and happiness. The focus of the present study was on the measurement of hope and its relationship to mental health and personality. In Study 1, the longitudinal effects of hope on anxiety and depression were examined using structural equation modeling and a high-risk behavioral design. Results from Study 1 indicated that hope at one time point led to a decrease in later depression, but had no effect on later anxiety. Study 2 represented a comparative validity study of two measures of hope, the Herth Hope Scale (HHS) and the Snyder Hope Scale (SHS). Both of these measures appear to tap similar dimensions of hope, but the HHS also taps an added spiritual/interpersonal dimension. First the reliability of scores from both measures was examined. Next, the factorial validity of scores from both measures was evaluated, using both exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Then the predictive validity of scores from the two measures was compared through examination of their relationships with depression, anxiety, stress, and positive and negative coping styles, using hierarchical regression analysis and commonality analysis. Then the relationship between hope and the Five-Factor Model of personality was examined using canonical correlation analysis. Finally, the overlap of the constructs tapped by the two hope measures was explored using exploratory interbattery factor analysis. Results from Study 2 provided evidence for good reliability, factorial validity, and predictive validity of scores from both the SHS and HHS. In addition, most of the analyses involving the relationship between hope, mental health constructs, and coping styles indicated some degree of incremental validity of the HHS above the SHS. The implications for the measurement of hope and future research are discussed. |
