Editing Hope (section)

=== Major theories ===
Of the countless models that examine the importance of hope in an individual's life, two major theories have gained a significant amount of recognition in the field of [[psychology]]. One of these theories, developed by [[Charles R. Snyder]], argues that hope should be viewed as a cognitive skill that demonstrates an individual's ability to maintain drive in the pursuit of a particular goal.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Snyder|first1=C.R|title=The Psychology of Hope|url=https://archive.org/details/psychologyofhope00snyd|url-access=registration|date=1994|publisher=Free Press|location=New York, NY|isbn=9780029297155 }}</ref> This model reasons that an individual's ability to be hopeful depends on two types of thinking: agency thinking and pathway thinking. Agency thinking refers to an individual's determination to achieve their goals despite possible obstacles, while pathway thinking refers to the ways in which an individual believes they can achieve these personal goals.

Snyder's theory uses hope as a mechanism that is most often seen in [[psychotherapy]]. In these instances, the therapist helps their client overcome barriers that have prevented them from achieving goals. The therapist would then help the client set realistic and relevant personal goals (i.e. "I am going to find something I am passionate about and that makes me feel good about myself"), and would help them remain hopeful of their ability to achieve these goals, and suggest the correct pathways to do so.

Whereas Snyder's theory focuses on hope as a mechanism to overcome an individual's lack of motivation to achieve goals, the other major theory developed by Kaye A. Herth deals more specifically with an individual's future goals as they relate to coping with illnesses.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Weis|first1=Robert|last2=Speridakos|first2=Elena|title=A Meta-Analysis of Hope Enhancement Strategies in Clinical and Community Setting|journal=Psychology of Well-Being: Theory, Research and Practice|date=2011|volume=1|page=5|doi=10.1186/2211-1522-1-5|doi-access=free}}</ref> Herth views hope as "a motivational and cognitive attribute that is theoretically necessary to initiate and sustain action toward goal attainment".<ref name=Herth>{{cite journal|last1=Herth|first1=K.A.|title=Enhancing hope in people with a first recurrence of cancer|journal=Journal of Advanced Nursing|date=2000|volume=32|issue=6|pages=1431–1441|doi=10.1046/j.1365-2648.2000.01619.x|pmid=11136411}}</ref> Establishing realistic and attainable goals in this situation is more difficult, as the individual most likely does not have direct control over the future of their health. Instead, Herth suggests that the goals should be concerned with how the individual is going to personally deal with the illness—"Instead of drinking to ease the pain of my illness, I am going to surround myself with friends and family".<ref name=Herth />

While the nature of the goals in Snyder's model differ with those in Herth's model, they both view hope as a way to maintain personal motivation, which ultimately will result in a greater sense of optimism.