Five challenges for hope and resilience research

Twenty years after Snyder's seminar article on hope theory, research on hope has moved in many directions and has spanned multiple spheres of personal life and social life, including psychological adjustment, physical health, lifespan development, and interpersonal relationships. Given its importance for well-being, it is somewhat surprising that a close look at the literature reveals that the question of whether hope is a source of resilience is far from resolved, and key questions remain unanswered. Here, we outline five challenges for future hope and resilience research, including conceptualization, measurement, research design, modeling methods, and multidirectional and multidimensional perspectives on adaptation. Although each of these challenges has received some attention, additional work is needed to build a more cumulative science, thereby contributing important insights into what it means to be well in the face of adversity.