Evaluating Snyder’s Hope Theory as a Motivational Model of Participation and Life Satisfaction for Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury: A Path Analysis

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate Snyder’s (2002) hope theory as a motivational model of community participation and life satisfaction.Design: Quantitative descriptive design using path analysis.Setting: Manitoba chapter of the Canadian Paraplegic Association.Participants: One-hundred and sixteen participants with spinal cord injuries who were members of the Manitoba chapter of the Canadian Paraplegic Association.Results: The respecified path-analytic hope model of participation and life satisfaction fits the data reasonably well, with χ2/df = 2.58; GFI = .95; and CFI = .95. Participation—with indirect effects of causality, perceived control, resilience, agency thinking, and pathways thinking—explained 32% of the variance in life satisfaction. Causality and agency thinking—with indirect effects of perceived control, resilience, and pathways thinking—explained 40% of the variance in participation.Conclusion: Synder’s hope theory as a motivational model of participation and life satisfaction was validated with minor modifications to the model. The respecified model indicated that causality had a direct effect on participation; pathways thinking had a direct link to agency thinking; and pathways thinking only had an indirect effect on participation through agency thinking.