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Domain Specific Hope Scale
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About Domain Specific Hope Scale
Scale Name
Domain Specific Hope Scale
Author Details
Susie C. Sympson
Translation Availability
Not Sure
Background/Description
Hope, long recognized as a crucial human motivator, wasn’t always seen as multifaceted. Traditional measures treated hope as a single, global construct, overlooking the nuances of individual experiences across different life domains. Enter psychologist Susie C. Sympson, whose doctoral research challenged this notion. Inspired by the belief that hope thrives within specific contexts, she crafted the Domain-Specific Hope Scale (DSHS) in 1999.
This groundbreaking tool shifted the focus from a universal “hope score” to measuring hope in eight distinct areas: academics, career, family, friendship, health, leisure, love, and social life. This granular approach stemmed from the understanding that individuals hold varying levels of hope depending on the specific domain and its associated challenges.
The DSHS, built on eight-item subscales for each domain, prompts individuals to rate their agreement with statements like “I can think of many ways to achieve my career goals” or “Even when someone seems unapproachable, I know I can find a way to break the ice” (friendship domain). Higher scores indicate greater hope within that specific area.
Sympson’s innovation wasn’t just impactful, it was rigorously validated. Research confirmed the DSHS’s reliability and its ability to capture nuanced variations in hope across different life spheres. This paved the way for countless studies exploring the intricate relationship between hope and various aspects of well-being, coping mechanisms, and even academic achievement.
The DSHS, readily available and free to use, continues to be a valuable tool for researchers and practitioners alike. It offers a deeper understanding of how hope manifests in specific contexts, empowering individuals and professionals to target interventions and support where it matters most.
Administration, Scoring and Interpretation
- Introduction: Briefly explain the purpose of the DSHS, emphasizing its focus on hope in different life domains. Ensure participants understand confidentiality and voluntary participation.
- Distribution: Hand out the DSHS copies and ensure participants have a clear understanding of the instructions.
- Completion: Instruct participants to read each statement carefully and rate their agreement using the 6-point Likert scale provided. Each point has a descriptive phrase like “Strongly Disagree” to “Strongly Agree.”
- Completion Check: Once everyone has finished, collect the scales and ensure all items are answered. Clarify any doubts or questions before proceeding.
Reliability and Validity
The Domain-Specific Hope Scale (DSHS) has been extensively studied and shows evidence of both reliability and validity, making it a valuable tool for measuring hope in different life domains. Here’s a breakdown of its strengths:
- Internal consistency: The DSHS has consistently demonstrated high internal consistency, meaning the items within each subscale are highly correlated and measure the same construct. Cronbach’s Alpha values typically range from 0.70 to 0.88, indicating good to excellent internal reliability.
- Test-retest reliability: Studies have shown the DSHS to be stable over time, with scores remaining relatively consistent when administered again after a period. This suggests the scale measures a stable and enduring construct of hope.
- Content validity: The DSHS items directly reflect the specific domains it claims to measure, ensuring it taps into relevant aspects of hope in each area.
- Convergent validity: The DSHS shows positive correlations with other measures of hope and related constructs like optimism and well-being, suggesting it captures a similar underlying construct.
- Discriminant validity: The DSHS demonstrates negative correlations with measures of hopelessness and depression, indicating it successfully differentiates between hope and its opposite constructs.
- Criterion validity: Studies have shown the DSHS to predict relevant outcomes like academic achievement and coping with stressful situations, suggesting it measures a meaningful construct with real-world implications.
Available Versions
50-Items
Reference
Sympson, S. C. (1999). Validation of the domain specific hope scale: Exploring hope in life domains. University of Kansas.
Snyder, C. R. (Ed.). (2000). Handbook of hope: Theory, measures, and applications. Academic press.
Important Link
Scale File:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is it?
Measures hope in 8 specific life areas (academic, career, etc.). Assesses how confident you feel about achieving goals in each domain.
Why use it?
Understands hope beyond a single number, revealing strengths and weaknesses. Useful for research, therapy, and personal reflection.
How does it work?
You rate statements like “I can think of many ways to achieve my career goals.” Higher scores indicate greater hope in that specific area.
Is it reliable and valid?
Yes! Extensive research shows it accurately measures hope across domains.
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