The origins of hope in adolescence: A test of a social–cognitive model

Abstract

We investigated the origins of individual differences in hope in adolescents based on a social–cognitive model. Specifically, we examined a mediating role for self-esteem and optimism in the relation between social support and hope. One thousand six hundred fifty four adolescents (781 boys and 873 girls) from Mainland China completed the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) and the Children's Hope Scale (CHS). Social support was associated positively with self-esteem, optimism and hope, and hope was associated positively with self-esteem and optimism. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that self-esteem and optimism partially mediated the relation between social support and hope, accounting for 62.7% of the effect of social support on hope. The significance and limitations of the results are discussed.