Introducing the Bidimensional Model of Hope and its conceptual and methodological utilities

Oded Adomi Leshem*, Eran Halperin

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

What is hope, and how can we measure it? These questions have occupied the minds of hope scholars across disciplines. This article outlines a comprehensive approach to understanding hope: the Bidimensional Model of Hope. Building on the standard definition of hope, the bidimensional model explores hope as the intersection between wishes (desires, aspirations) and expectations (assessment of possibility). Hope is thus located on a bidimensional plane with two perpendicular axes; one corresponds to the levels of wishes to achieve an outcome, and the second to the levels of expectations of achieving the outcome. We claim that the bidimensional approach is comprehensive enough to include existing definitions of hope while being parsimonious, versatile, and applicable to many contexts, including those where the hoped-for outcome is beyond people’s actual or perceived control. We show the model’s theoretical and methodological utility and its use in existing qualitative and quantitative research on hope in the context of intractable international conflicts. We end with suggesting pathways for developing and applying the Bidimensional Model of Hope to assist hope research in a variety of contexts and disciplines.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1456303
JournalFrontiers in Psychology
Volume15
DOIs
StatePublished - 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2024 Leshem and Halperin.

Keywords

  • Bidimensional Model of Hope
  • hope and politics
  • hope and social change
  • hope conceptualization
  • hope definition
  • hope in conflict
  • hope measurement

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