Using Snyder’s Adult Hope Scale, Bryce and her team were able to measure path thinking (helping people get from A to B) and agency thinking (indicating a person’s belief in their ability to achieve goals). Bryce’s team found that increased hope outcomes were associated with improved academic performance and reduced stress and anxiety. For college students, increased hope is associated with higher retention rates from the first to second years of college.
Her team then applied WOOP (Wishes, Outcomes, Obstacles, Plans), which created a framework for hope in the classroom. Developed by psychologist Gabriele Oettingen, the WOOP method allows educators to guide students throughout the effective goal-setting process. The Aspirations and Outcomes steps of WOOP are self-explanatory; a basic framework for a project, course, or academic year can be created by having students state their goals and desired outcomes.
According to Bryce, the hurdles and planning steps of the WOOP method are the most important. Identifying potential barriers during the goal setting process allows students to think about the future and build additional scaffolding to help them achieve their goals and desired outcomes. Planning practices help build students’ self-confidence—increasing their hope and their ability to pivot when faced with obstacles.
extend hope into future years
Hope is more than a scientific practice; It can also come about organically. Bryce said young children are really good at having hope. Consider the example of a 4-year-old child who tried and failed to climb to the top of a building on the playground. They may fall, but they believe in their ability to reach their goals and will naturally get up and try again, maybe even in a different way. Bryce continued that as children get older, they begin to doubt themselves and their ability to achieve their goals. Bryce believes this may be due to rising cynicism in early adolescence or a shrinking support system.
Bryce and other researchers found a significant decline in hope among teenagers in eighth grade. This finding was consistent across countries. While there are no clear answers as to why this particular age group is declining, Bryce speculates that the decline may be related to puberty, developmental changes and the generally difficult transition period between seventh and ninth grade.
Ultimately, having a peer or older person as a sounding board can help you combat cynicism and give you hope for the future, Bryce says. This sounding board is not necessarily meant for sympathy or contemplation. “They’ll say, ‘Yeah, let’s move on; what’s the next step?'” Bryce said.
