Abstract
Hope is here operationalized as a predominance of expected future positive feelings over future expected negative feelings. Hope, comprised of both desire and expectation, involves the interaction of affect and cognition. Modifications of Bradburn's Affective Balance Scale were used to measure hope and happiness. Four graphic rating scales were used to measure psychological well-being, perceived health, satisfaction, and happiness. Hope, measured by the Expected Balance Scale correlated as expected with the other measures. A factor analysis further supported the robustness of the hope variable. Hope is offered as an important personality dimension worthy of continued research.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Bibliography
Andrews, F. M., and S. B. Withey: 1976, Social Indicators of Well-Being: America's Perception of Life Quality, (New York, Plenum).
Beck, A. T.: 1967, Depression: Clinical, Experimental, and Theoretical Aspects. (New York, Hoeber).
Beck, A. T., M. Kovacs, and A. Weissman: 1975, ‘Hopelessness and suicidal behavior: An overview’, Journal of the American Medical Association 234, pp. 1146–1149.
Bradburn, N. M.: 1969, The Structure of Psychological Well-Being (Chicago, Aldine).
Campbell, A.: 1981, The Sense of Well-Being in America: Recent Patterns and Trends. (New York, McGraw-Hill).
Cherlin, A., and L. G. Reeder: 1975, ‘The dimensions of psychological well-being: A critical review’, Sociological Methods and Research 4, pp. 189–214.
Costra, P. T., and R. R. McCrae: 1980, ‘Influence of extraversion and neuroticism on subjective well-being: Happy and unhappy people’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 38, pp. 668–678.
Cronbach, L. J., and L. Furby: 1970, ‘How should we measure “change” — or should we?’ Psychological Bulletin 74, pp. 68–80.
Diener, E.: 1984, ‘Subjective well-being’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 95, pp. 542–575.
Diener, E., R. S. Larsen, S. Levine, and R. A. Emmons: 1985, ‘Intensity and frequency: Dimensions underlying positive and negative affect’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 48, pp. 1253–1265.
English, H. B., and A. C. English: 1958, A Comprehensive Dictionary of Psychological and Psychoanalytical Terms (New York, McKay).
Fordyce, N. M: 1983, ‘A program to increase happiness: Further studies’, Journal of Counseling Psychology 30, pp. 483–498.
George, L. K., and L. B. Bearon: 1980, Quality of Life in Older Persons: Meaning and Measurement (New York, Human Sciences Press).
Goldings, H. J.: 1954, ‘On the arousal and projection of happiness’, Journal of Personality 23, pp. 30–47.
Kammann, R., D. Christie, R. Irwin, and G. Dixon: 1979, ‘Properties of an inventory to measure happiness and psychological health’, New Zealand Psychologist 8, pp. 1–9.
Lazarus, R. S.: 1984, ‘On the primacy of cognition’, American Psychologist 39, pp. 124–129.
Kutner, B., D. Fanshel, A. M. Togo and T. S. Langer: 1956, Five Hundred Over Sixty: A Community in Aging (New York, Russell Sage Foundation).
Michalos, A. C.: 1983, ‘Satisfaction and happiness in a rural northern resource community’, Social Indicators Research 13, pp. 225–252.
Staats, S. R.: 1985, ‘Hope: An assessment of expected positive affect’, Paper, American Psychological Convention, Los Angeles, California.
Seligman, M. E. P.: 1975, Helplessness: On Depression, Development and Death (San Francisco, Freeman).
Warr, P., J. Barter, and G. Brownbridge: 1983, ‘On the independence of negative and positive affect’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 44, pp. 644–651.
Zajonc, R. B.: 1984, ‘On the primary of affect’, American Psychologist 39, pp. 117–123.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Staats, S.R., Stassen, M.A. Hope: An affective cognition. Social Indicators Research 17, 235–242 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00319312
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00319312