Scale-Description

The Domain Specific Hope Scale (DSHS) is a psychometric tool developed to assess hope in specific areas of life, rather than a general sense of hope. This scale is based on the idea that hope is not uniform across all areas, but can vary depending on an individual’s circumstances and expectations in each domain (e.g., professional life, health, relationships).
Pathways Thinking: Refers to an individual’s ability to identify ways to achieve their goals.
Agency Thinking: Refers to the internal motivation and belief that they can use these ways to reach their goals.

Data Analysis and Use

The DSHS is commonly used in research settings or clinical assessments to measure the level of hope that individuals feel in specific areas. Data from this scale are typically analyzed through quantitative statistical techniques, such as:
Reliability Measurement: Using Cronbach’s Alpha to examine the internal consistency of the data.
Exploratory or Confirmatory Factor Analysis (EFA/CFA): To examine the factor structure of the scale, i.e., how well the items relate to the dimensions of hope (agency and pathways).
Correlation with Other Psychological Variables: Exploring how domain-specific hope relates to other variables, such as self-esteem, resilience, depression, or anxiety.
These data can help identify areas of life where participants feel more or less hopeful, and compare different demographic groups.

Purpose

The primary goal of the DSHS is to measure hope in specific domains of life rather than in general. Specifically, the scale allows:
The creation of an individual hope profile across different domains.
The management and analysis of differences in hope across various life areas.
Improved interventions in clinical or counseling applications, as hope is seen as critical for mental health and goal achievement.

Scaling

The DSHS is typically calibrated using a set of statements where participants are asked to rate their level of agreement based on a Likert scale, usually 5 or 7 points. For example:
1 = Strongly disagree
2 = Disagree
3 = Neither agree nor disagree
4 = Agree
5 = Strongly agree
Scores are calculated for each domain (e.g., work, health, personal relationships), and the sub-scores are then analyzed to reveal levels of hope in each area.

Bibliography

Snyder, C. R. et al. (1991): “The will and the ways: Development and validation of an individual-differences measure of hope.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. This study serves as the foundation for developing the concept of hope as a combined process between pathways thinking and agency.
Lopez, S. J., & Snyder, C. R. (Eds.). (2003): Positive Psychological Assessment: A Handbook of Models and Measures. This work provides an analytical description of the hope scale and how it can be applied in psychological assessment.
Feldman, D. B., & Snyder, C. R. (2005): “Hope and the meaningful life: Theoretical and empirical associations between goal-directed thinking and life meaning.” This study explores the relationship between hope and the sense of meaning in life, a key concept in understanding the application of the DSHS.