Hope against the rain: Investigating the psychometric overlap between an objective and projective measure of hope in a medical student sample

This study examined the psychometric overlap between the Dispositional Hope Scale (DHS; Snyder et al., 1991) and the Verinis, Lichtenberg & Henrich version of the D-A-P-R (Oster & Gould Crone, 2004) as an objective and projective measure of hope among a high-stress population of medical students. Results indicated that the DHS and D-A-P-R were correlated. Students with higher hope scores on the D-A-P-R also had significantly higher DHS scores in agency related beliefs. In addition to theoretical convergence, first year medical students obtained significantly lower scores on the D-A-P-R than second year students, suggesting lower hope on the projective measure. No significant differences were found by student year and the DHS. Future studies would compare the D-A-P-R and a state measure of the DHS.

► Examination of the psychometric overlap between the Dispositional Hope Scale and the D-A-P-R. ► Measurement of hope among a high-stress population of medical students. ► Results indicated that the DHS and D-A-P-R were significantly correlated. ► Students with higher hope scores on the D-A-P-R also had significantly higher DHS scores in agency related beliefs. ► First year medical students obtained significantly lower scores on the D-A-P-R than second year students.