The Hope Institute
A 501 (c)(3) Nonprofit
Your Total Hopefulness Score is:
000
/80
Hopefulness is humanity’s most important character strength, the psychological equivalent of an immune system. Like the biological immune system, hope can be strengthened or weakened by external factors that vary on a continuum from very healthy to very toxic. The workplace can be empowering or disabling, welcoming or alienating, freeing or restrictive, experienced as meaningful or completely devoid of purpose. In short, a good workplace can strengthen and even infuse hope. A toxic work environment "sickens the soul", and erodes hope. The link between satisfaction of the needs underlying hope and employee wellbeing are supported by more than seven decades of research, dating back to the classic analysis of Friedman and Havighurst (1954) and continuing with studies such as those by Wang et al. (2020) and Tusi et al. (2024).
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Share Your Results
Would you like to see a full report with scores on the four major aspects of hope in the workplace (Mastery, Attachment, Survival, and Spiritual Hope)? If yes, click below to purchase your full report and obtain a detailed hopefulness profile of your workplace.
Mastery Hope Score:
00
/20
In several large-scale studies, psychologists asked lay people (non-professionals) open-ended questions about hope. Hopeful individuals reported a focus on non-negotiable, life-defining endpoints (ultimate, unconditional desires, linked to cherished values). They also highlighted the role of empowerment and inspiration. Does your workplace align with your cherished values? (At a minimum, your workplace should not be at odds with your most important principles and values.) Do you derive any sense of empowerment from trainings and skill development opportunities? As you inspired by your work environment in any manner? Friedman and Havighurst (1954) included the needs for esteem and identity in their functions of work. As they note, beyond power and prestige, there remains a basic needs for identification with, and a sense of contribution to, larger efforts. They suggest that one of the risks of technological advances could be a diminishment in a sense of collective mastery, leading to greater "work alienation".
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Attachment Hope Score:
00
/20
Philosophers, who have provided the deepest thoughts on hope, consistently stress the importance of social connections and trust. A hopeful person has internalized a sense of embeddedness in a predictable universe of caring people and benign forces, visible and invisible. Some philosophers equate hopefulness with openness. Do you feel an emotional connection to at least some of your co-workers/colleagues? Are there trustworthy leaders at the top of your organization? Does your workplace feel like a place where you can safely share your thoughts and feelings? Are people in your workplace genuine in their dealings with you?
Friedman and Havighurst (1954) included "association" as a key work function. They note the powerful human need for attachment and incorporated theory and research to support the high value placed on the social aspects of work.
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Survival Hope Score:
00
Ancient Greek healers as well as modern-day medical investigators have touted the importance of hope for stress management and general wellbeing. Hope is distinguishable from optimism, confidence, or mere “expectation” by its association with difficult but not impossible challenges. Survival hope includes imaginative constructions of reality, fact-finding, development of options, and help-seeking. Does your workplace inspire you to believe a better future is possible? Does your workplace invest in you in ways that make you more skilled, and more employable if you had to move on from your current place of work? Does your workplace provide some flexibility and choice-making (roles, tasks, hours, etc.). We can translate Friedman and Havighurst's (1954) "income" and "life structure" functions of work into survival hope via resource-building and self-regulation or time-binding (work is something that life can be organized around).
/20
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Spiritual Hope Score:
00
/20
For countless millennia, humanity has found hope in spiritual beliefs. From the perspective of our critical “MASS.” model, we view spirituality (broadly defined, not just religious), as essential for the full development of hopefulness. Humans cannot fully satisfy their needs for mastery, attachment, or salvation with ordinary responses to the world. Spirituality offers an important and extraordinary layer of empowerment, presence, and salvation. From this perspective, work can be viewed as one of several means of securing this additional layer of transcendent mastery, attachment, or survival experience (e.g., in addition to engagements with religious or spiritual belief systems). Friedman and Havighurst (1954) included purpose and meaning among their functions of work. A more recent study by Syahir et al. (2025) affirms linkages between employee wellbeing and spirituality in the workplace.
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Critical Items Score:
00
/20
We created a critical item score by analyzing worker ratings of importance for each of the 16 items on our scale. We extracted the single item rated most important from the categories of Mastery Hope, Attachment Hope, Survival Hope, and Spiritual Hope. These items were all rated as highly important to workers. Again, these were not remote workers so we can presume their ratings reflect direct experiences of the workplace. The highest rated mastery item: The workplace leaders and staff respect me and others like me. The highest rated attachment item: The workplace leaders and staff do not trample on, or violate, your dignity. The highest rated survival item: My workplace provides training, skill-building, and other opportunities to make me more financially secure in the future. The highest rated spiritual item: The leadership and staff of my workplace do their best to create an environment that supports a higher purpose or mission.
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(goalProgressScale): Goal Progress(goalProgressBand): high(goalProgressSum): 19(goalProgressGauge): 95(goalProgressDisplayText): Placeholder: High interpretation for Goal Progress.(goalProgressDisplayTextId): 886843fc-a3c5-4804-be7a-f46d21dc7c44(goalSupportScale): Goal Support(goalSupportBand): high(goalSupportSum): 19(goalSupportGauge): 95(goalSupportDisplayText): Placeholder: High interpretation for Goal Support.(goalSupportDisplayTextId): d716c7f9-b0ad-4653-ace0-1c3142cad503(connectionsScale): Connections(connectionsBand): high(connectionsSum): 17(connectionsGauge): 85(connectionsDisplayText): Placeholder: High interpretation for Connections.(connectionsDisplayTextId): 4814928b-7c88-4114-bfaf-4f0ae842d152(trustScale): Trust(trustBand): high(trustSum): 18(trustGauge): 90(trustDisplayText): Placeholder: High interpretation for Trust.(trustDisplayTextId): 87f43328-cd79-4da1-9c18-7b7733101c0d(personalCopingScale): Personal Coping(personalCopingBand): high(personalCopingSum): 17(personalCopingGauge): 85(personalCopingDisplayText): Placeholder: High interpretation for Personal Coping.(personalCopingDisplayTextId): bb2e5283-f595-446e-ae6f-d40ccf283e1e(copingSupportScale): Coping Support(copingSupportBand): med(copingSupportSum): 13(copingSupportGauge): 65(copingSupportDisplayText): Placeholder: Medium interpretation for Coping Support.(copingSupportDisplayTextId): a91de0d7-4576-4278-a65b-fefe693d5456(libertyScale): Liberty(libertyBand): high(libertySum): 17(libertyGauge): 85(libertyDisplayText): Placeholder: High interpretation for Liberty.(libertyDisplayTextId): a22c11b0-18c8-4c94-bad5-3a7696889a70(spiritualInspirationScale): Spiritual Inspiration(spiritualInspirationBand): high(spiritualInspirationSum): 19(spiritualInspirationGauge): 95(spiritualInspirationDisplayText): Placeholder: High interpretation for Spiritual Inspiration.(spiritualInspirationDisplayTextId): c21f7527-c59f-4906-8452-13c74626a4e4(spiritualPresenceScale): Spiritual Presence(spiritualPresenceBand): high(spiritualPresenceSum): 19(spiritualPresenceGauge): 95(spiritualPresenceDisplayText): Placeholder: High interpretation for Spiritual Presence.(spiritualPresenceDisplayTextId): 2dff1cc0-2bbd-4771-8747-fb44be5b34cf(spiritualProtectionScale): Spiritual Protection(spiritualProtectionBand): high(spiritualProtectionSum): 18(spiritualProtectionGauge): 90(spiritualProtectionDisplayText): Placeholder: High interpretation for Spiritual Protection.(spiritualProtectionDisplayTextId): 9b6a5435-c587-4745-84e3-b891bc38f1ec(masteryScale): Mastery(masteryBand): high(masterySum): 38(masteryGauge): 95(masteryDisplayText): You have a passionate commitment to non-negotiable desires that are aligned with your important values (Goal Progress). You feel supported in those aims and inspired by the example of others (Goal Support). As people develop their confidence about their pursuits, they may lose sight of their values, or the need for ongoing mentoring and inspiration. Keep these factors in mind. It is ok to keep asking for help.(masteryDisplayTextId): 27b66821-15d6-44dd-9783-54e38ef33838(attachmentScale): Attachment(attachmentBand): high(attachmentSum): 35(attachmentGauge): 88(attachmentDisplayText): You have internalized kind caretakers and retain a sense of belonging that transcends physical proximity. With this advantage, you never feel completely alone (Connections). In addition, you have close confidantes who share many of your values and beliefs. You believe that most people are generally honorable and reliable (Trust).(attachmentDisplayTextId): 437a2bc6-4355-425f-8e1c-f5fb517ba9c3(survivalScale): Survival(survivalBand): med(survivalSum): 47(survivalGauge): 78(survivalDisplayText): You have some resources for maintaining hope when confronting adversity. You rarely feel stuck or trapped (Liberty). You may have a solid, even very strong level of imaginative capacity to look beyond immediate problems. If you rated high in this sub-domain, and nevertheless had an overall medium survival score, perhaps you reported more difficulty with concrete problem solving (or vice versa) (Personal Coping). Alternatively, you might have a great capacity for imagination and problem solving but find it difficult to recruit good help (Coping Support). Prioritize your weak areas. Divide and conquer them.(survivalDisplayTextId): d8db705f-038c-419d-9352-c50594ffadbb(spiritualityScale): Spirituality(spiritualityBand): high(spiritualitySum): 56(spiritualityGauge): 93(spiritualityDisplayText): Your spiritual beliefs and feelings are functioning effectively, to close the gap between your needs for mastery, attachment, and survival/salvation and the unavoidable confrontations with frustration and human limits. You have a strong sense of purpose. There are times in your life that reveal a discernable spiritual presence. This does not mean that you have fully met all of your mastery, attachment, or survival needs. However, you have enough hope, at a spiritual level, to trust that you will get enough done in your lifetime, that you will not be abandoned or forgotten, and that suffering is not forever.(spiritualityDisplayTextId): cc38dbcd-1b22-4ed2-af58-0d69745413c8(totalHopefulnessScale): Total Hopefulness(totalHopefulnessBand): high(totalHopefulnessSum): 175(totalHopefulnessGauge): 88(totalHopefulnessDisplayText): Congratulations! You have attained a strong critical MASS, enough hope to handle the challenges that confront human beings, from cradle to grave. You have a well-balanced hope, aligned with the greatest insights and prescriptions offered in psychology, philosophy, medicine, and pastoral care. You have life-defining goals and are fortunate to have people in your life who support you in these endeavors. You are immersed in a social network of trusted allies who are reliable as well as nurturing. You have internalized caring experiences that are imprinted at a deep level. You rarely feel trapped or held captive by life circumstances because of a strong imagination that can transport you to better times and places. You can access resources when problems arise. Your spiritual beliefs provide inspiration, a sense of abiding presence, and the ability to transcend suffering.(totalHopefulnessDisplayTextId): 62c6c62a-dbb3-4454-ab3f-5a08d3ba50f5