Chapter 4 - Positive pathways to adulthood: The role of hope in adolescents’ constructions of their futures

Abstract

Hope has been studied within various disciplines since at least the 1950s, as researchers have attempted to describe, explain, and predict the association between human functioning and this seemingly vital-yet often abstract-construct. Recent work by Snyder and colleagues identified future goal orientation as a necessary component of hope. For developmental scientists, understanding the associations between hope and intentional self regulation strategies that may help young people achieve their goals could provide insight into the positive development of youth. In this chapter, we present a developmental systems framework for elucidating the links between hope and adaptive developmental outcomes, and we discuss recent research that provides evidence for the relationship between hopeful future expectations and thriving in the adolescent period. Finally, we provide guidelines for taking the next steps in not only assessing hope among diverse youth, but also in harnessing that hope for positive constructions of adolescents' pathways to adulthood.