Psychological Study Says Hope Essential to Wellbeing

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A groundbreaking new study from the University of Missouri has found that hope, not specifically happiness or gratitude, may be more essential to our wellbeing.

Professors Megan Edwards, PhD and Laura King, PhD, researchers the university’s Department of Psychological Sciences led a team of researchers seeking to challenge the long-held idea that hope is tied to goal-setting and motivation.

Published last month in the American Psychological Association’s journal “Emotion,” shows that by itself, hope is a strong positive emotion that directly promotes a sense of meaning.    

Edwards and King used data from six different studies with a combined 2,300 participants. Their team analyzed a range of emotions, such as happiness, contentment, amusement and excitement. The researchers repeatedly found that only hope consistently predicted a stronger sense of meaning.

Edwards said “our research shifts the perspective on hope from merely a cognitive process related to goal attainment to recognizing it as a vital emotional experience that enriches life's meaning. This insight opens new avenues for enhancing psychological well-being.”

King  explained that having a strong sense of meaning in life is a key aspect of psychological functioning, and can predict a variety of important outcomes, like happiness, quality of relationships, physical health and income.

She further explained that “experiencing life as meaningful is crucial for just about every good thing you can imagine in a person's life.” “This cornerstone of psychological functioning is not a rare experience — it is available to people in their everyday lives and hope is one of the things that make life feel meaningful.”

The research team believe their findings will lead to future efforts on the ability of hope to help people cope with challenging times, and the development of strategies that enable people to remain hopeful and find meaning, even in the face of adversity.

How to be More Hopeful

Finding meaning in life can enhance many different aspects of life, such as relationships, and self-care, and the researchers suggest some simple methods to try and be more hopeful in life.

One approach is trying to pay more attention to and be more appreciative of positive moments in our daily lives, no matter how small. People tend to focus on future milestones, but taking note that things are going well along the way can help cultivate hope.

Another method is trying to take advantage of opportunities, even when things are chaotic. Seizing even small opportunities when life feels uncertain can help create a feeling of forward momentum.

Appreciating growth in yourself and others can also inspire more positive thoughts about the future.