Class 4: Does hope matter?

Psychology is a relatively new branch of study, and within it, hope has become an object of study in the past forty years. What do empirical studies of hope as a cognitive trait, a habit of mind and set of practices tell us about the importance of hope to human flourishing?

Learning Goals:

• Identify elements of Hope theory
• Apply hope theory to a personal challenge

• To do (Prior to class):
  Read The Science of Hope
  Listen: Speaking of Psychology: Why we need hope

• For Further Investigation:
  Snyder Hope Theory: Rainbows in the Mind
  Hope Research Center, University of Oklahoma