The Role of Gender, Age, and Education in Domain-Specific Hope: A Cross-Sectional Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61978/psychosocia.v4i2.1636Keywords:
hope, domain-specific hope, optimism, psychosocial healthAbstract
Hope is a core psychological resource that supports goal-directed behavior and psychosocial wellbeing. Despite growing interest in positive psychology, most research on domain-specific hope has been conducted in Western contexts, and the demographic correlates of hope in South Asian and other non-Western populations remain insufficiently understood. This study examined the relationships between gender, age, and educational attainment and levels of hope across six life domains: social relationships, academics, romantic relationships, family life, work, and leisure activities. A cross-sectional survey design was employed. A total of 381 participants (140 men, 241 women; age range 16-43 years) were recruited through purposive sampling from educational institutions and public offices in Islamabad, Pakistan. The Domain Specific Hope Scale (DSHS) was administered to assess hope across the six domains. Independent samples t-tests and Pearson correlations were conducted using SPSS. The DSHS demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = .913). Men reported significantly higher overall hope, as well as higher hope for social and romantic domains, compared to women. Women reported significantly higher hope for the academic domain. Age showed a significant positive correlation with overall hope, and with hope for romantic and family life domains specifically. Educational attainment was significantly and positively associated with overall hope, and with hope for social and romantic relationship domains. These findings suggest that demographic variables relate to hope in domain-specific, rather than uniform, ways. Education emerged as the most consistent positive correlate of hope. Gender and age differences in hope appear to be domain-dependent and are likely moderated by broader psychosocial variables that warrant further investigation.
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