HOPE - How to measure hope

The Adult Hope Scale developed by C. R. Snyder of the University of Kansas is an easy to use measure of hope. The original scale has 12-items, which measure two dimensions of hope based on hope theory. Four measure agency and four measure pathways--the other four are distractors.


The agency concept measures the capacity to focus energy on a goal. The pathways concept assesses plans to achieve goals. In recent studies, the four distraction items are often dropped leaving 8-items. Researchers often use the total score for the 8-items as a measure of trait (aka dispositional) hope.

Find Snyder's The Psychology of Hope

I have also included a Spanish language measure of hope in this post.

Here's the text we (Sutton et al., 2018) used to refer to the scale along with our findings.

The items used a response format of 1 = definitely false to 8 = definitely true. A sample item is, “I meet the goals I set for myself.” Snyder et al. (1991) reported alphas between .79 and .95 in four samples. 

In our two studies, the alpha reliability values were .82 and  .95.

As you might expect, hope is positively correlated with well-being, which provides some evidence supporting validity. Hope was significantly correlated with the Schwartz Outcome Scale in both studies (.64, .76) and with the Theistic Spiritual Outcome Scale in study 2 (.72).

Using the Hope Scale

Counselors and psychotherapists may consider the scale in assessment of clients because it strongly predicts satisfaction with therapy and patient well-being, which are used as outcome measures as noted above (See Sutton et al., 2018)

Researchers may want to use hope in a variety of surveys looking at characteristics of populations. The reliability values of the items vary with the study yet indicate an overall consistency in many contexts.

The 8-item Scale

LINK TO COPY OF THE ADULT HOPE SCALE (also called The Trait Hope Scale)


Learn more about Hope Theory

Learn more about adding scales like Hope when Creating Surveys

Available from AMAZON

Applied Statistics: Concepts for Counselors

Available from AMAZON

Resource Link:  A – Z Test Index

La Esperanza

A Spanish hope scale (Escala de Esperanza) is also available. An article suggests adequate psychometric properties for a 28-item version (Uribe, Bardales, & Herth, 2012).

Read more about hope in Chapter 5 of Living Well

References

Snyder, C. R., Harris, C., Anderson, J. R., Holleran, S. A., Irving, L. M., Sigmon, S. T., Yoshinoba, L., Gibb, J., Langelle, C., & Harney, P. (1991). The will and the ways: Development and validation of an individual-differences measure of hope. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, 570-585. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.60.4.570

Snyder, C. R., Parenteau, S. C., Shorey, H. S., Kahle, K. E., & Berg, C. (2002). Hope as the underlying process in the psychotherapeutic change process. International Gestalt Journal, 25,11-29.

Sutton, G. W., Jordan, K., & Worthington, E.L., Jr. (2014). Spirituality, hope, compassion, and forgiveness: Contributions of Pentecostal spirituality to godly love. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 33, 212-226. 

Sutton, G. W., Kelly, H., Worthington, E. L. Jr., Griffin, B. J., & Dinwiddie, C. (2018) Satisfaction with Christian psychotherapy and well-being: Contributions of hope, personality, and spirituality. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 5 (1), 8-24. doi: 10.1037/scp0000145 Academia Link    ResearchGate Link

Uribe, P. M., Bardales, M.C., & Herth, K. (2012). Propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Esperanza de Herth en español. RIDEP, 33, 127-145. (aidep.org)

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Measuring Spiritual Outcomes in Psychotherapy

The Theistic Spirituality Outcome Scale (TSOS) has potential as a useful outcome measure.


Recently, a group of us completed a study of clients who saw Christian counselors. We assessed their current well-being using two measures: The Schwartz Outcome Scale (SOS) and the Theistic Outcome Scale (TSOS). (See references below.)


The TSOS was designed by Richards (2005) as a measure of well-being for people associated with a theistic religion like Christianity, Judaism or Islam. We used the 17-item version, which uses a 5-point response format from 1 = never to 5 = almost always to rate each item (e.g., “I felt spiritually alive.”).


Reliability

We only calculated coefficient alpha, which was strong at .95.

Validity

The TSOS was significantly correlated with ratings of satisfaction with Christian counseling (.65) and likelihood of returning to Christian counseling (.62).

It was significantly correlated with the SOS measure of general well-being (.84).

Other significant correlations were:

TIPI (a Big 5 measure; Gosling et al., 2003)

Extraversion .34

Agreeableness .50

Neuroticism .51

Conscientiousness .39

Snyder's Hope Scale .72 (Snyder et al., 2010)

Attachment to God Inventory (Beck & McDonald, 2004)

  Avoidant  -.55

  Anxious   -.40

Religious Practices Index  .41 (See Sutton et al., 2016)

Intratextual Fundamentalism Scale .56 (See Williamson et al., 2010)

Counselors, read more about reliability and validity of test scores in APPLIED STATISTICS: CONCEPTS FOR COUNSELORS

Resource Link:  A – Z Test Index

References

Beck, R., & McDonald, A. (2004). Attachment to God: The Attachment to God Inventory, tests of working model correspondence, and an exploration of faith group differences. Journal of Psychology and Theology, 32, 92-103. doi:10.1037/t46035-000

Gosling, S. D., Rentfrow, P. J., & Swann, Jr., W. B. (2003). A very brief measure of the big-five personality domains. Journal of Research in Personality, 37, 504-528. doi:10.1016/s0092-6566(03)00046-1

Richards, P. S., Smith, T. B., Schowalter, M., Richard, M., Berrett, M. E., & Hardman, R. K. (2005). Development and validation of the Theistic Spiritual Outcome Survey. Psychotherapy Research, 15, 457-469. doi:10.1080/10503300500091405

Snyder, C. R., Harris, C., Anderson, J. R., Holleran, S. A., Irving, L. M., Sigmon, S. T., Yoshinoba, L., Gibb, J., Langelle, C., & Harney, P. (1991). The will and the ways: Development and validation of an individual-differences measure of hope. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, 570-585. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.60.4.570

Sutton, G. W., Arnzen, C. A., & Kelly, H. L. (2016). Christian counseling and psychotherapy: Components of clinician spirituality that predict type of Christian intervention. Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 35, 204-214.

Sutton, G. W., Kelly, H., Worthington, E. L. Jr., Griffin, B. J., & Dinwiddie, C. (in press) Satisfaction with Christian Psychotherapy and Well-being: Contributions of Hope, Personality, and Spirituality. Spirituality in Clinical Practice.

Williamson, W. P., Hood, R. W. Jr., Ahmad, A., Sadiq, M., Hill, P. C. (2010). The Intratextual Fundamentalism Scale: Cross-cultural application, validity evidence, and relationship with religious orientation and the big 5 factor markers. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 13, 721-747. doi:10.1080/13674670802643047

Read more about validity of surveys and tests in CREATING SURVEYS

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Schwartz Outcome Scale (SOS) Measuring psychotherapy outcomes

The Schwartz Outcome Scale (SOS) has the potential to be a useful measure of counseling outcomes.

Overview

I and my colleagues used the 10-item version of the Schwartz Outcome Scale in two recent studies about psychotherapy patients. The scale measures several aspects of well-being: physical, relational, and psychological functioning and the person’s capacity to be peaceful, interested, excited, and satisfaction with life.


RELIABILITY

In our two studies, coefficient alpha reliability values were .93 and .96 (Sutton et al., 2018).

VALIDITY

In previous research, the SOS was linked to hope, self-esteem, affect, mental health, and life satisfaction  (Young, Waehler, Laux, McDaniel, & Hilsenroth, 2003).

Some validity findings based on positive correlations with other measures may be of interest to clinicians and researchers (Sutton et al. (2018).

   Satisfaction with counseling .63

   Likely to return to counseling .56

   Spiritual well-being .84

   Big 5 measures of 

Extraversion (.47) and 

Neuroticism (emotional stability) .40.

Read more about validity of surveys and tests in CREATING SURVEYS

Creating Surveys

Counselors, read more about validity of test scores in APPLIED STATISTICS: CONCEPTS FOR COUNSELORS- Chapter 20.

Resource Link:  A – Z Test Index

References

Sutton, G. W., Kelly, H., Worthington, E. L. Jr., Griffin, B. J., & Dinwiddie, C. (2018) Satisfaction with Christian psychotherapy and well-being: Contributions of hope, personality, and spirituality. Spirituality in Clinical Practice, 5 (1), 8-24. doi: 10.1037/scp0000145

Young, J.L., Waehler, C. A., Laux, J. M., McDaniel, P.S., & Hilsenroth, M. J. (2003). Four studies extending the utility of the Schwartz Outcome Scale (SOS-10). Journal of Personality Assessment, 80, 130-138. doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa8002-02 

Links to Connections

Checkout My Page    www.suttong.com

  

My Books  AMAZON          and             GOOGLE STORE

 

FOLLOW me on   FACEBOOK   Geoff W. Sutton   TWITTER  @Geoff.W.Sutton

 

PINTEREST  www.pinterest.com/GeoffWSutton

 

Articles: Academia   Geoff W Sutton   ResearchGate   Geoffrey W Sutton