Snyder's Hope Theory

Key points

• Hope is defined as the perceived capability to derive pathways to desired goals, and motivate oneself via agency thinking to use those pathways.(1)
• Snyder’s developed the two-factor model of hope, which has contributed significantly the field of positive psychology.(2)
• Snyder’s hope theory is based in cognition rather than emotion.(2)
• Hope is a human strength that enables individuals to draw on resources in their environment to support pathways toward healthy development and achievement. (3)
• Snyder’s hope theory has three elements: goal, path thinking, and dynamic thinking.(4)
• Pathways thinking is the act of appraising the availability or unavailability of resources and routes necessary to attain a goal, which is often an externally-driven action.(1)
• Agency thinking is one’s perceived capability of and motivation for achieving a desired goal, which is internal driver independent of external factors.(1)
• Hope therapy can be applied to help patients alleviate negative emotions, enhance self-control ability, and promote rehabilitation.(5)
• Snyder’s hope theory showed a positive effect on reducing patients’ stigma and improving their daily living ability among stroke patients.(6)
• Individuals with higher levels of hope are more optimistic about how things are going, and are more likely to motivate themselves to achieve their desired goals through positive thinking.(7)
• Nursing intervention derived from Snyder’s hope theory can enhance patients’ hope level, improve negative emotions, and have a beneficial influence on their rehabilitation.(4)
• Hope theory can effectively be used as a framework to understand suicidal behaviour.(8)
• Hope-informed approach is instrumental for achieving more successful therapeutic encounters.(9)
• State Hope Scale is a reliable and valid measure of hope in adverse life events.(10)

References

1. Snyder CR. Psychology of Hope: You Can Get Here from There. Riverside, CA: Free Press; 2010.
2. Snyder CR, Harris C, Anderson JR, Holleran SA, Irving LM, Sigmon ST, et al. The will and the ways: development and validation of an individual-differences measure of hope. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1991 Apr;60(4):570–85.
3. Colla R, Williams P, Oades LG, Camacho-Morles J. “A New Hope” for Positive Psychology: A Dynamic Systems Reconceptualization of Hope Theory. Front Psychol [Internet]. 2022 Feb 23 [cited 2025 Jun 2];13. Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.809053/full
4. Du J, Chen R, Xie H. Application of nursing intervention based on Snyder’s hope theory in individuals with spinal cord injury. Am J Transl Res. 2024 Apr 15;16(4):1246–55.
5. Kiang L, Ross BX, Yao J, Shanmugam S, Andrews CA, Hansen S, et al. Vitreous Cytokine Expression and a Murine Model Suggest a Key Role of Microglia in the Inflammatory Response to Retinal Detachment. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2018 Jul;59(8):3767–78.
6. Ge C, Zhang H, Zhu G, Cao A, Zhang J. Intervention study of Snyder’s hope theory on the stigma of stroke in young and middle-aged patients: a randomised trial. Ann Palliat Med. 2021 May;10(5):5721–8.
7. Rafferty KA, Beck G, McGuire M. When Facing Hopeful and Hopeless Experiences: Using Snyder’s Hope Theory to Understand Parents’ Caregiving Experiences for Their Medically Complex Child. J Pediatr Health Care Off Publ Natl Assoc Pediatr Nurse Assoc Pract. 2020;34(6):542–9.
8. Grewal PK, Porter JE. Hope theory: a framework for understanding suicidal action. Death Stud. 2007 Feb;31(2):131–54.
9. Duncan AR, Jaini PA, Hellman CM. Positive Psychology and Hope as Lifestyle Medicine Modalities in the Therapeutic Encounter: A Narrative Review. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2020 Mar 3;15(1):6–13.
10. Hansen CH, Lees S, Kapiga S, Seeley J, Barnett T. Measuring hope amongst Tanzanian women who participate in microfinance: An evaluation of the Snyder hope scale. Glob Public Health. 2020 Mar;15(3):402–13.