The psychology of hope: meaning and development according to the theory of Charles Richard Snyder

What is hope, does it belong to any cognitive structure of the mind or rather is it a kind of human feeling? The aim of this paper is to describe the theory of hope according to C.R. Snyder (1944–2006). This contemporary point of view has provided a lot of inspiration for many studies in a variety of different fields. Undoubtedly, the reality of hope has a big impact on educational performance, health condition, stress management and adaptive skills. It is not only a life-line in times of emergency or strife, when humans have to cross some difficulties in life, but it is also the daily force to live in the present. Hope according to Snyder is a three dimensional construct of the integrated cognitive process (willpower, waypower and goal direction). The applicability and power of this construct lies in its potential to change the general level of hope in individual lives and social groups, not just in the future, but in the present