This article provides a practical explanation of Snyder’s Hope Theory. After reading, you’ll understand the basics of this powerful psychology and personal development tool.
What is Snyder’s Hope Theory?
Charles Richard Snyder was an American psychologist specialised in positive psychology. He
This article provides a practical explanation of Snyder’s Hope Theory. After reading, you’ll understand the basics of this powerful psychology and personal development tool.
What is Snyder’s Hope Theory?
Charles Richard Snyder was an American psychologist specialised in positive psychology. He garnered international fame for his work in clinical, social, personality, and health psychology. His theories from the ’80s and ’90s relate to, among other things, human responses to personal feedback, human need for uniqueness, and the hope motive.
Based on Snyder’s work, more studies were conducted to link increased levels of hope to academic and athletic performance and physical health and well-being. By helping people become so-called high-hopers, they gain a more positive outlook on life. In simplified terms, this is what Snyder’s Hope Theory is about.
Three Components within Snyder’s Hope Theory
When talking about Snyder’s Hope Theory, it’s helpful to first define the word ‘hope’. Hope can be seen as the perceived ability to walk certain paths leading to a desired destination. In addition, hope helps people stay motivated when walking these paths. Hope consists of both cognitive elements and affective elements. Snyder’s Hope Theory includes goals, paths, and freedom of choice. According to him, there are at least three components that people can relate to hope, being:
- you need to have focused thoughts
- you must develop strategies in advance in order to achieve these goals
- you have to be motivated to make the effort required to actually reach these goals
The more the individual believes in their own ability to achieve the components listed above, the greater the chance that they will develop a feeling of hope.
Pathways and Agency Thinking
Goals are abstract and mental. They have the power to guide human behaviour. Snyder noticed that much of human behaviour is goal-oriented. In addition to the previously mentioned components, Snyder’s Hope Theory therefore distinguishes two other important factors that influence movement towards the goal:
This is about the human ability to generate different pathways from the present to the desired future. Pathways focus on the perceived ability to plan multiple routes. This is about the cognitive ability to produce a pathway that leads to the goal, and to first think about it.
This refers to the level of intention, confidence, and the human ability to actually follow those different pathways to the desired future. The belief and positive motivation to follow the path are key here. This is about affective ability.
The goals themselves also play an important role in Snyder’s Hope Theory. Goals that are valuable but uncertain are described as the anchors of Snyder’s Hope Theory. They offer direction and guide you to the final destination. Barriers can also play a role. They may make it difficult to reach the goals. If there’s a barrier, an easy solution would be to quit unless Pathways Thinking is strengthened to create a new pathway.
Reaching goals will happen more easily if emotions are positive. In many cases barriers lead to negative emotions. By coming up with new, alternative pathways, the conviction and motivation from Agency Thinking is reactivated, making it possible to reach the goal sooner. Barriers are then considered challenges, not permanent roadblocks. The key in Snyder’s Hope Theory requires different pathways to a goal and the intention to sti