Hope Agency Research Articles

Hedonic and eudaimonic well-being in athletes: Beyond athletic identity, are positive personality variables important for understanding well-being in student-athletes?

The present study examined the role of optimism and hope as predictors of subjective well-being and psychological well-being in a sample of 203 student-athletes participating in competitive sport. Results from conducting a series of hierarchical regression analyses indicated athletic identity (e.g., encouragement from others, competence) accounted for unique variance in all indices of both subjective and psychological well-being. Moreover, independent of athletic identity, the set of positive personality variables, namely, optimism and hope, was found to account for additional unique variance in all indices of well-being. For all indices of well-being, optimism was found to be a significant predictor. Similarly, hope agency, but not hope pathways, was found to be a significant predictor for most of the indices of well-being examined. Taken together, the present findings are not only among the first to be based on the assessment of well-being in athletes using a range of different indices of both subjective and psychological well-being, but they are the first to demonstrate the importance of integrating the study of optimism and hope for understanding well-being in athletes.

A prospective test of the broaden-and-build model of positive emotions: examining the role of will and ways as temporal mediators of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being in adults

ABSTRACT Integrating Fredrickson’s (2001) broaden-and-build model of positive emotions with Snyder’s (1994) theory of hope, the present prospectively designed study sought to examine positive mood as a predictor of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being (e.g. life satisfaction, psychological well-being), and to determine if hope agency and pathways accounted for any prospective association identified between positive mood and indices of well-being. One hundred and thirty-six adults completed a measure of positive mood at Time 1, a measure of hope agency and pathways at Time 2 (1 month later), and measures of well-being at Time 3 (2 months later). Results of mediation testing indicated that hope agency, but not hope pathways, had indirect effects on each of the three indices of well-being examined. Taken together, these prospective findings provide further evidence for the importance of positive mood in building hope agency as an important explanation for how positive mood might foster well-being in adults.

The mediating effect of hope agency on perceived stress and professional burnout among Polish corporate employees

Job burnout is considered an outcome of prolonged exposure of employees to stress. Although many studies have focused on the presence of a direct association between stress and burnout, we still know very little about mediators that indirectly play a role in this relationship. Previous analyses have determined that self-efficacy acts as a mechanism that explains the overall relationship between stress and burnout. However, there is no such evidence to support the mediatory function of hope. Therefore, the main aim of the current study was to verify whether self-efficacy, hope pathways, and hope agency are mediators in this relationship. The study included 408 Polish-speaking adults who completed the Perceived Stress Scale, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Dispositional Hope Scale. The outcomes indicated a positive correlation of stress with the overall burnout score, as well as all subscales. Moreover, hope agency was a mediator, thus suggesting that there is also an indirect relationship between stress and job burnout. Therefore, it can be assumed that higher stress is associated with lower motivation to generate and sustain the actions needed to reach the goals. Consequently, lower hope agency may lead stressed employees to greater exhaustion and reduced personal accomplishment.

Stress and hope distinguish individuals with suicidal plan from suicide ideators among Chinese college students.

Suicide among college students is a significant public health concern in China. While suicidal ideation serves as a crucial predictor of subsequent suicidal plans and behaviors, it is important to recognize that most instances of suicidal ideation may only be fleeting thoughts that do not progress to an actual plan. Therefore, it is imperative to identify the factors associated with the transition from suicidal ideation to a concrete plan. Consequently, this study aims to investigate whether certain frequently cited factors can differentiate individuals who have formulated a specific suicidal plan from those who have experienced suicidal thoughts without planning, based on data obtained through a cross-sectional survey. This survey was conducted as part of routine mental health assessments among second-year college students in October 2023. Data from a total of 4,858 second-year college students were utilized for the final analyses. Two survey questions were employed to identify past-year suicidal ideation and past-year suicidal plan. All participants were required to complete various assessments, including the Chinese version of Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 items (DASS-21), the Chinese version of Gratitude Questionnaire-six items (GQ-6), the Chinese version of Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ), and the Chinese version of State Hope Scale (SHS). Among 4,858 participants, a total of 134 individuals (2.8%) were confirmed to have experienced past-year suicidal ideation. Out of these, 53 (1.1% overall) reported having a past-year suicidal plan, accounting for approximately 39.6% of those with suicidal ideation. Logistic regression analyses revealed that while most potential variables differentiated between students with and without suicidal ideation, only two factors stood out in distinguishing individuals with a suicidal plan from those who had not made such plans despite experiencing suicidal thoughts-presence of stress (OR=2.49, 95% CI: 1.04-5.96) and lower scores of hope agency (OR=0.84, 95% CI: 0.72-0.98). These findings suggest that the stress may contribute to susceptibility for transitioning from mere thoughts to actual planning regarding suicide; conversely, hope agency appears to offer protection against this transition process. Therefore, we advocate for targeted interventions aimed at fostering hope among individuals who have encountered adverse and stressful life events.

Positive Emotions, Hope, and Life Satisfaction in Chinese Older Adults: An Application of Broaden-and-Build Model.

According to the broaden-and-build theory, positive emotions can broaden our awareness and build psychological resources, which leads to better psychological outcomes. Previous studies demonstrated that hope partially mediates the association between positive emotions and life satisfaction in college students. Yet, there has no similar model been tested among older adults. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the mediating role of hope agency and pathways in the association between positive emotions and life satisfaction. Three hundred and forty-one Chinese community-dwelling older adults (mean = 70.83, SD = 9.16) were asked to complete a survey questionnaire comprising measures assessing positive emotions, hope, life satisfaction, and other sociodemographic variables. Results showed that hope agency, but not hope pathways, partially mediated the relationship between positive emotions and life satisfaction. We discussed the importance of these initial findings concerning positive emotions and hope as predictors of life satisfaction in the older adult population.

Hope agency and hope pathways: exploring the relationships between social class and subjective wellbeing in different age groups

Hope agency and hope pathways: exploring the relationships between social class and subjective wellbeing in different age groups

Examining the integrated broaden-and-build model of positive emotions involving hope in a community sample of Argentinian adults: A selective test among victims of interpersonal aggression

The present study sought to provide a test of the integrated broaden-and-build model of positive emotions that incorporates components of hope (agency & pathways) as hypothesized predictors of life satisfaction in a community sample of 171 (137 female & 34 male) Argentinian adults who have been victims of interpersonal aggression. Results of testing for mediation, controlling for negative mood, indicated that positive mood had indirect effects on life satisfaction through hope agency, but not through hope pathways. Importantly, the direct effect of positive mood on life satisfaction became nonsignificant after accounting for hope. Thus, we found evidence for full mediation involving hope agency. Taken together, these findings provide further evidence for the importance of hope agency, but not hope pathways, as an important mechanism that might account for how positive mood fosters well-being in diverse adult populations.

Hope Agency and Hope Pathways as Potential Mediators of Trauma Exposure and Psychological Adjustment in Emerging Adults

Hope Agency and Hope Pathways as Potential Mediators of Trauma Exposure and Psychological Adjustment in Emerging Adults

Financial Hardship, Hope, and Life Satisfaction Among Un/Underemployed Individuals With Psychiatric Diagnoses: A Mediation Analysis.

BackgroundIndividuals with psychiatric diagnoses who are unemployed or underemployed are likely to disproportionately experience financial hardship and, in turn, lower life satisfaction (LS). Understanding the mechanisms though which financial hardship affects LS is essential to inform effective economic empowerment interventions for this population.AimTo examine if subjective financial hardship (SFH) mediates the relationship between objective financial hardship (OFH) and LS, and whether hope, and its agency and pathways components, further mediate the effect of SFH on LS among individuals with psychiatric diagnoses seeking employment.MethodsWe conducted structured interviews with participants (N = 215) of two peer-run employment programs using indicators of OFH and SFH and standardized scales for hope (overall hope, hope agency, and hope pathways) and LS. Three structural equation models were employed to test measurement models for OFH and SFH, and mediational relationships. Covariates included gender, age, psychiatric diagnosis, race/ethnicity, education, income, employment status, SSI/SSDI receipt, and site.ResultsConfirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for items measuring OFH and SFH supported two separate hypothesized factors. OFH had a strong and significant total effect on SFH [standardized beta (B) = 0.68] and LS (B = 0.49), and a weak-to-moderate effect on hope (B = –0.31). SFH alone mediated up to 94% of the effect of OFH on LS (indirect effect B = –0.46, p < 0.01). The effect of SFH on LS through hope was small (indirect effect B = –0.09, p < 0.05), primarily through hope agency (indirect effect B = –0.13, p < 0.01) and not hope pathways. Black and Hispanic ethno-racial identification seemed to buffer the effect of financial hardship on hope and LS. Individuals identifying as Black reported significantly higher overall hope (B = 0.41–0.47) and higher LS (B = 0.29–0.46), net of the effect of OFH and SFH.ConclusionSFH is a strong mediator of the relationship between OFH and LS in our study of unemployed and underemployed individuals with psychiatric diagnoses. Hope, and particularly its agency component, further mediate a modest but significant proportion of the association between SFH and LS. Economic empowerment interventions for this population should address objective and subjective financial stressors, foster a sense of agency, and consider the diverse effects of financial hardship across ethno-racial groups.

Time Perspective, Working Memory, and Depression in Non-Clinical Samples: Is There a Link?

Non-clinical depression is a major issue on college campuses, with some surveys estimating that 30% of college students have experienced a major depressive episode. One theoretical framework of depression is Zimbardo and Boyd (1999) time perspective model, which posits that our perspectives on time impact different aspects of life including our emotions, judgments, and decision making. The current study seeks to determine the role of this time perspectives model and a range of cognitive constructs including hope, rumination, and working memory on their influence in depression. Currently enrolled college students and participants not currently enrolled in college completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, the Adult Hope Scale, the Rumination Reflection Questionnaire, and the Automated Working Memory Assessment. Linear regression analysis revealed that, for the college students, Rumination and Past Negative scores predicted depressive symptoms. For the non-college students, Rumination, Present Fatalism, Hope Agency and Verbal Working Memory scores predicted depressive symptoms. The current results reiterate the importance of rumination in depression symptomology and that current cognitive depression models and treatments may benefit from including time perspective measures. Further implications of the results are discussed.

Structured, Progressive Exercise Training Improves Cardiovascular Psychophysiological Outcomes in Young Adult Women with a History of Adverse Childhood Experiences

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) represent psychosocial stressors that occur during critical developmental periods and are associated in a dose‐dependent manner with adverse cardiovascular outcomes in emerging adults, including greater age‐related increases in blood pressure (BP) and increased circulating endothelin‐1 (ET‐1), a psychosocial stress‐responsive, endothelium‐derived peptide and potent vasoconstrictor. ACEs have also been linked to lower resilience and hope, which is a motivational state based on goal‐directed energy (agency) and goal planning (pathways). Importantly, resilience and hope are each stable psychological traits that may protect against adversity. We examined the effects of a structured, progressive exercise training program on hope agency, hope pathways, resilience, BP, and circulating ET‐1 in young adult women with a history of moderate‐to‐severe (e.g., 4 or more) adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). We hypothesized that exercise training would increase resilience and hope, but lower systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), and circulating ET‐1. We further hypothesized that changes in hope and resilience would be associated with changes in BP and ET‐1 across the intervention period in the young women with ACEs. Forty‐two otherwise healthy young adult women with either four or more (ACE+) or with no ACEs (ACE–) were recruited and completed this study. Participants with ACEs (ACE+) were randomly assigned to either an exercise (n=14) or non‐exercise (n=14) control group, whereas women without a history of ACEs (ACE–) were assigned to a non‐exercise control (e.g., negative control group; n=14). Statistical analyses included two‐way mixed (group x time) effects and bivariate correlational analyses. Changes are reported as means ± SE. Agency did not change in any group (p = 0.14), but pathways improved only in the ACE+ exercise group (+1.6 ± 0.74 au; p = 0.03). ET‐1 decreased in the ACE+ exercise group only (‐0.31 ± 0.29 pg/ml, p= 0.04). While the interactions for resilience and SBP did not reach significance (p = 0.06 and 0.05, respectively), forced post‐hoc analyses indicated that resilience improved (+4.9 ± 1.9 au, p = 0.01) and SBP tended to improve (‐4.0 ± 2.0 mmHg; p = 0.05) in the ACE+ exercise group only. DBP did not change in any group (p = 0.43). There were significant inverse associations between changes in pathways and SBP (ρ = ‐0.43, p= 0.02) and pathways and ET‐1 (ρ = ‐0.56, p= 0.003), and a significant direct association between changes in SBP and ET‐1 (ρ = 0.49; p = 0.01) in the ACE+ young women. Associations among resilience and BP and ET‐1 were weaker and non‐significant (ρ = ‐0.17–0.29, p≥ 0.13). Our results suggest that structured, progressive exercise training promotes improvements in positive psychological factors, SBP, and circulating ET‐1 levels in young adults with a history of ACEs. Further, changes in pathways were related to changes in SBP and ET‐1 across the intervention period, suggesting a potential psychophysiological relationship between positive psychological traits and cardiovascular risk factors in young women with ACEs.

Psychological Factors Predicting Functional Ability and Participation After Hip Fracture.

Positive psychological factors have been related to better outcomes among adults with various health conditions. To predict functional ability and participation in older adults who had experienced a hip fracture on the basis of data at admission to acute (inpatient) rehabilitation. We measured physical factors, as well as positive and negative psychological factors, at three time points. Prospective and cross-sectional cohort study. Data collection occurred during admission, at discharge, and 6 mo after rehabilitation. Inpatient geriatric rehabilitation center and follow-up at home. Seventy-one older adults (M age = 78.58 yr, SD = 6.09) who had sustained a hip fracture because of a fall and who attended acute rehabilitation; 55 completed follow-up assessments 6 mo after discharge from rehabilitation. Participants completed the Adult Hope Scale, Life Orientation Test, Positive Affect Questionnaire, Geriatric Depression Scale (at admission only), hand-grip strength measures, Numeric Pain Rating Scale, and FIM® Motor domain (mFIM) before and after acute rehabilitation and after 6 mo. The Activity Card Sort (ACS) was administered only at follow-up. Outcome measures were the mFIM and ACS. At 6-mo follow-up, functional ability was correlated more with optimism than with age, gender, or hand-grip strength measured at admission. Participation was predicted by age, the hope-agency component, and pain in walking at admission; however, the hope-agency component was only marginally significant. At discharge, functional ability was strongly predicted by age, hand-grip strength, and mFIM scores at admission. Optimism and hope played a role in explaining rehabilitation outcomes at 6-mo follow-up. Occupational therapy evaluation should address positive psychological factors, and intervention should aim to strengthen these factors as powerful aids in older adults' recovery from hip fractures. What This Article Adds: This study reflects the philosophy of occupational therapy, which places great emphasis on the connection between clients' mind-body-spirit and their participation in daily life occupations.

Wellbeing in Winter: Testing the Noticing Nature Intervention During Winter Months.

The main objective of this 2-week RCT study was to test the efficacy of the previously developed Noticing Nature Intervention (NNI) to boost wellbeing during winter months. The NNI consists of noticing the everyday nature encountered in one’s daily routine and making note of what emotions are evoked. Community adults (N = 65) were randomly assigned to engage in the NNI or were assigned to one of two control conditions. Paired t-tests revealed significant increases pre- to post-intervention in the NNI group for positive affect (d = 0.43), elevation (d = 0.59), nature connectedness (d = 0.46), and hope agency (d = 0.64), and a marginally significant increase in transcendent connectedness (d = 0.41). No significant pre-post difference emerged for any aspect of wellbeing in the control conditions. Analysis of qualitative findings revealed that negative emotion themes were 2.13 times more likely to be associated with built photos than with nature photos. Feelings of peace, awe, happiness, humbleness, and hope were more likely to be associated with nature photos, while feelings of annoyance, loneliness, curiosity, uncertainty, anger, yearning, and comfortableness were more likely to be associated with built photos. Overall, results indicated that engaging in the NNI can provide a wellbeing boost, even in the cold of winter. This study is the first (to our knowledge) to test any nature-based wellbeing intervention during colder, winter months, and to directly assess the impact of a nature-based wellbeing intervention on levels of hope.

Creative Approaches in Solution-Focused Teletherapy: A COVID-19 Renaissance Man

The impacts of COVID-19 may exacerbate existing client difficulties, propelling clients into simultaneous crises which impact multiple dimensions of daily life, while diminishing self-agency and hope. Expressive arts approaches, embedded in a traditional solution-focused teletherapy framework, were utilized in this clinical case study with a high functioning adult male as a portal to explore exceptions, personal resilience, and benefits of loss over time. This creative solution-focused approach provided the client with salient somatic, intellectual, and spiritual experiences which invited him to reframe crises as opportunities for growth and change, while inspiring a greater sense of hope and personal agency.

Positive Emotions, Hope, and Life Satisfaction in Chinese College Students: How Useful is the Broaden-and-Build Model in Studying Well-being in Victims of Intimate Partner Violence?

In recent works, Chang and colleagues have shown that hope partially mediates the association between positive emotions and life satisfaction in diverse adult groups. However, such a model has yet to be tested among adult victims of intimate partner violence. Accordingly, the objective of this study was to evaluate the broaden-and-build model of positive emotions involving hope agency and pathways as predictors of life satisfaction in a sample of Chinese college students (N = 248; 152 females and 96 males) who self-reported experiencing intimate partner violence. Participants completed measures assessing prior exposure to intimate partner violence, positive emotions, hope, and life satisfaction. A multiple mediation model with 10,000 bootstraps was evaluated in which hope agency and pathways were examined as hypothesized mediators of the positive association found between positive emotions and life satisfaction in Chinese adult victims of intimate partner violence. Results of this analysis indicated that although positive emotions continued to have a significant direct association with life satisfaction, both hope agency and pathways were found to partially mediate this association. We discussed the importance of these initial findings in relation to positive emotions and hope as predictors of life satisfaction in victims of intimate partner violence.

Feminist adult education and a feminist exhibition: the case of Disobedient Women

This article focuses on the feminist design, content and pedagogical impact of a multi-media research exhibition I curated entitled Disobedient women: Defiance, resilience and creativity past and present. Through the conceptual frameworks of feminist adult education and feminist exhibtionary praxis, I discuss the development and design of the exhibition and then share findings from a study that aimed to unearth the learning made possible for visitors by viewing the exhibition’s stories and images. Findings show that as Disobedient Women instructed intentionally about gender injustice past and present, it made possible new interpretations, meaning making and cross-cultural connections; as the exhibition illustrated a deeply problematic gendered world its playfulness and beauty challenged assumptions about activism and feminism and encouraged hope and aesthetic agency. While important challenges and critiques were raised, I argue that intentional, participatory feminist exhibitions such as Disobedient Women are valuable processes of feminist adult education because they open up possibilities of seeing and thus knowing things differently and acting in the interests of gender justice and change.

Hope as a Process in Understanding Positive Mood and Suicide Protection.

Background: According to the broaden-and-build model of positive mood, positive emotions are believed to broaden cognition resources and build psychological resiliency, to help incur positive psychological outcomes. Aim: We examined hope as a potential mediator of the association between positive mood and suicide protection (viz., life satisfaction and reasons for living) in adults. We hypothesized that positive mood would be associated with greater suicide protection through broadening hope agency and building hope pathways. Method: A sample of 320 college students completed measures of positive emotions, hope, and suicide protection. Results: Results from bootstrapped mediation testing indicated that hope agency, but not hope pathways, partially or fully mediated the relationship between positive mood and suicide protection. Limitations: It is not clear whether these findings are generalizable to a more diverse adult population. Also, it is not possible to rule out alternative causal models involving positive emotions and suicide protection. Conclusion: These findings provide some promising preliminary evidence for how positive emotions might help build hope agency to foster greater suicide protection in adults.

Does the Pollyannaish View on Life Hold during Early COVID-19 Quarantine? Modeling the Effects of Positive Emotions, Hope, Optimism and Life Meaning on Life Satisfaction

This study examined 1) the effects of positive emotions, hope, optimism, and life meaning, on life satisfaction during early COVID-19 quarantine; 2) the inter-relationships between hope, optimism, life meaning and positive emotions. Respondents (759 Greek adults from the general population) completed self-report measures of affectivity (SPANE-8), life satisfaction (SWLS), hope (AHS), life meaning (MLQ) and optimism (LOT-R). A Structural Equation Model (SEM) was specified. The measurement model showed good fit, model-based reliability, convergent/discriminant validity and strict measurement invariance across gender. The full SEM model had equally good fit. The effects of Positive Emotions, Presence of Life Meaning, Optimism and Hope Agency on Life Satisfaction were positive and significant, from 0.265 - 0.402 (61.5% explained variance). The effect of Positive Emotions on Hope Agency was not significant. The effects of Optimism and Presence of Life Meaning on Hope Agency were positive, significant and strong (0.484 - 0.764). The effects of Positive Emotions and Presence of Life Meaning on Optimism were positive, significant but weak. The effect of Positive Emotions on Presence of Life Meaning was positive, significant and strong. Some study limitations were the cross-sectional design, non-probability sampling, imbalanced sample regarding gender, single method of data collection. In conclusion, during COVID-19 early quarantine: 1) Positive Emotions, Hope Agency, Optimism and Presence of Life Meaning explained almost 2/3 of Life Satisfaction; 2) Optimism had the strongest positive effect on Hope Agency; 3) Positive Emotions had the second strongest positive effect on Presence of Life Meaning. Findings have implications for efforts to sustain and promote Life Satisfaction during and after COVID-19 context.

Rurality, gay-related rejection sensitivity, and mental health outcomes for gay and bisexual men

Introduction Gay and bisexual (GB) men report anxiety about rejection based on sexual identity. The impact rejection has on GB men’s mental health was investigated to understand how rejection impacts positive psychological constructs (hope and self-compassion), as well as anxiety, depression, and internalized homophobia. Rurality was also considered. Methods Data from 154 GB men were analyzed via linear regression. Results Results showed higher levels of gay-related rejection were associated with decreased self-compassion and hope agency and increased depressive symptoms and anxiety. No associations with rurality were found. Conclusion Implications include suggestions for practitioners in helping GB men with self-compassion and hope.

Beyond the Role of Interpersonal Violence in Predicting Negative Affective Conditions in Adults: An Examination of Hope Components in Chinese College Students.

With the growth of positive psychology during the past two decades, increased research has been focused on identifying human virtues that not only foster well-being but also act as positive processes that mitigate the impact of life adversities. Thus, it is useful to examine how positive processes, such as hope, may impact individuals' psychological adjustment following adversities. This study investigated the relationships among interpersonal violence, hope, as a key human strength, and negative affect conditions in a large sample (N = 737) of Chinese male and female (Nfemale = 409) college students. Participants completed measures assessing prior exposure to interpersonal violence, levels of both hope components (i.e., agency and pathways), negative affect, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation. Results from correlational analyses showed that exposure to interpersonal violence was positively and hope was negatively correlated with negative affective conditions. However, hope agency was more strongly correlated with those outcomes than hope pathways. In addition, three separate hierarchical regression analyses indicated that after accounting for demographics (i.e., age and sex) and interpersonal violence, within hope components, only hope agency remained as strong concurrent predictors of negative affective conditions. The present findings in this Chinese sample are consistent with those obtained from Turkey and the United States samples, adding evidence to the more robust role of hope, and hope agency in particular, in predicting negative psychological adjustment associated with interpersonal violence. Efforts made to address the absence of hope agency may be particularly important in future attempts to mitigate negative affective conditions linked to interpersonal violence among Chinese college students.