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date: 18 May 2021

Abstract and Keywords

Hope has long been a topic of interest both within and outside of psychology. Although historical perspectives on hope were mixed, decades of research have now demonstrated that hope can be reliably measured, that hope is malleable, that hope promotes resilience, and that hope is beneficial across contexts and the lifespan. Rick Snyder developed the dominant model of hope that emphasizes agency and pathways thinking as the two core components of hope, and this model has provided the foundation for the scientific study of hope. The two most prominent scientists in the field of hope have now passed away, but hope remains a robust area of positive psychology that is being examined by scientists worldwide. This chapter introduces the goals of this handbook: to review what has been learned about the theory, measurement, promotion, and benefits of hope and to highlight important future directions in the science of hope.

Keywords: hope, agency, pathways, positive psychology, resilience

Matthew W. Gallagher

Matthew W. Gallagher Department of Psychology Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics University of Houston Houston, TX

Shane J. Lopez

Shane J. Lopez Clifton Strengths Institute School of Business University of Kansas Lawrence, KS

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