Domain Specific Hope Scale – DSHS
Measures an individual's level of hope (dispositional goal-directed thinking) across six specific life domains: social relationships, academics, romantic relationships, family life, work, and leisure activities.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Domain Specific Hope Scale – DSHS was developed by S. C. Sympson (1999). It is designed to measure Domain-specific hope. The scale is intended for use with Adults and college students.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 48 items organized into 6 factors/subscales: Social Relationships, Academics, Romantic Relationships, Family Life, Work, Leisure Activities.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Social Relationships | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 | 8 |
| Academics | 9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16 | 8 |
| Romantic Relationships | 17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24 | 8 |
| Family Life | 25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32 | 8 |
| Work | 33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40 | 8 |
| Leisure Activities | 41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48 | 8 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Definitely false, 2 = Mostly false, 3 = Somewhat false, 4 = Slightly false, 5 = Slightly true, 6 = Somewhat true, 7 = Mostly true, 8 = Definitely true.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 8 to 64. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Domain-Specific Hope: 8 – 24
- Moderate Domain-Specific Hope: 25 – 48
- High Domain-Specific Hope: 49 – 64
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Alpha values typically range from .80 to .90 across domains.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.