Expectations are a key aspect of human success and behavior that predict outcomes in a variety of settings, including academics. Trait expectations (e.g., hope and optimism) and previous experiences appear relevant to the formation of specific expectations. Specific expectations predict outcomes, with positive expectations predicting better outcomes. In academics, positive specific expectations predict improved academic performance; however, there are aspects of this relationship that are unclear. This study sought to examine the formation of specific academic expectations and the relationship between these expectations and academic performance. The current study aimed to replicate previous research about the unique influences of academic expectations, expand this knowledge by examining possible mechanisms of the relationship between academic expectations and academic performance, and test how previous academic experience affected this relationship. Results of this study showed that previous GPA and optimism, but not hope, predicted academic expectations. Academic expectations predicted academic performance, but this relationship was not mediated by study time or stress. Finally, previous GPA moderated the relationship between academic expectations and academic performance, such that the positive association between academic expectations and academic performance was stronger for those with poorer prior performance. <br>

Hundreds of thousands of people are affected by natural disasters every year. Many of these people face mental and emotional consequences from the traumatic experience. Research indicates that the aftereffects of such experiences can result in social, familial, and educational impairments in children. The current study tested the efficacy of a brief cognitive behavioral intervention on elementary school aged children intended to alleviate the mental and emotional consequences following a natural disaster. The study applied quantitative methods through pre and post intervention assessments measuring stress and hope. The participants assessed included 18 Filipino children between the ages of 10-12 years, who had recently been exposed to one of the strongest typhoons in the country’s history. Incorporating a quasi-experimental design, 12 of these participants were given a brief cognitive behavioral intervention based on their parent / caregiver involvement in a supplemental workshop and 6 participants were engaged in facilitated play acting as a comparison group. Results indicated that the cognitive behavioral intervention was effective in reducing stress in children, but had little to no effect on hope. However, facilitated play proved to be effective in raising hope levels, but also raised stress levels in children. An inference may be made that future interventions embodying both cognitive behavioral therapy and facilitated play could increase hope and decrease stress in children who have experienced a natural disaster. Furthermore, these initial findings contribute to seeking advocacy for inclusion of brief and low cost mental health interventions as part of relief efforts.

This study was conducted with a group Filipino survivors of Typhoon Yolanda. It examines the effects of being injured or displaced as a result of the natural disaster on the effectiveness of a pilot project addressing depression, anxiety and hope. Eight adults (N = 8) completed a series of five workshops along with a pre and post questionnaire. Those that were displaced, exhibited a reduction in depression (24%), a reduction in anxiety (12.8%), and an increase in hope (14.78%) after completing the workshops. Furthermore, the individuals that were injured experienced a reduction in anxiety (22.7%), an increase in depression (28.48%), and an increase in hope (14.86%).

The HOPE Scholarship began in the State of Georgia in 1993 and is a statewide, merit-based scholarship program for postsecondary students. The program is fully funded by the revenues received from the state’s lottery program, the Georgia lottery, which disproportionately receives contributions from minority and low-income populations. Using logistic and OLS regression analysis this research investigates the distributional equity of the HOPE Scholarship by comparing the award receipts of postsecondary students in Georgia. The study found that the race, ethnicity, immigrant generational status, first generation college student, and financial independence have a negative impact on the likelihood of a student receiving the HOPE Scholarship. The findings also suggest that HOPE Scholarship recipients who are black or African American, first generation college students, and those with financial independence receive less overall funding than those without these qualities. These results provide sound evidence that the HOPE Scholarship, a merit-based program targeted at helping to reduce educational disparities, may be failing to reduce higher education inequities in the state. Given the established relationship between education and future economic success, these types of merit-based, state-wide programs may inadvertently exacerbate existing disparities. Recommendations include a mandated program analysis to promote accountability among program administrators, policymakers, and the greater public.

Hope is meaningful and very important for people – even for people at the last days of their lives. Health professionals can sometimes describe hope in terms of hope for a cure, which may lead to feelings of hopelessness or empty hope for a patient with an incurable disease. In research, there is very little written about hope in the palliative home care context, even more so from the patient’s perspective. The aim of this project was to study how hope changes over time in cancer patients at the palliative phase, and to study the strategies used to cope with these changes. This was studied from the patients’ own perspective and in a home care context, but with the ambition of developing the results into a model or theory. Grounded Theory was the chosen research approach. Two sets of tape-recorded interviews were made with 11 patients in specialized palliative home care – a total of 20 interviews. The patients were also asked to write diaries about changes in their everyday feelings of hope within a 4-week period. Measurements of hope (HHI-S) and symptoms (ESAS) were also made at three occasions. Constant comparison of data was made during the analysis. The results showed that patients’ hope changed over time. Hope was described as a process involving a glimmering core of hope untouched by external circumstances (Study I). Hope was described in different processes, creation of a convinced hope, creation of simulated hope, collection and maintaining moments of hope and gradually extinct hope. The dying patient’s hope can be described as a gradual and successive adaptation process. Strategies for maintaining life were expressed to preserve the meaning in life, to communicate with others about life and death, to involve "fellow travelers" and to change focus. The strategy of preparing for death involved; taking responsibility for the future and seeing possibilities of living on even after death (Study II). The strategies were parallel to, and dependent on each other. It is important that health professionals understand the patient’s own strategies for maintaining life/hope, as well as the patient’s own preparations for death, so that hope is never taken away despite preparations at the end of life. In summary, hope can be interpreted as a changing process over time – a process that can change quickly, but is based on an inviolable core that is not easily moved by external circumstances. It is important that the health care personnel realize that patients simultaneously prepare for their deaths even as they try to maintain hope. Deeper understanding of what hope can mean for a patient can decrease the risk of hope being taken away during one’s final days. / Hopp har stor betydelse för människor, även för människor i livets slutskede. Av vårdpersonal beskrivs ibland hopp som bot, vilket kan leda till att inget hopp alls eller att ett meningslöst hopp förmedlas till en patient med en obotlig sjukdom. Forskningsmässigt förekommer hopp sparsamt beskrivet i den palliativa kontexten, särskilt från patientens perspektiv. Syftet med avhandlingen var att studera hur hopp kan förändras över tid hos patienter med cancer i ett palliativt skede, liksom vilka strategier de använder för att hantera dessa förändringar. Detta har studerats utifrån patientens eget perspektiv i en palliativ hemsjukvårdskontext, men ska sedan utvecklas vidare till en modell/teori. I denna avhandling har Grounded Theory valts som forskningsansats. Bandinspelade intervjuer gjordes vid två tillfällen med elva patienter i specialiserad palliativ hemsjukvård. Det blev totalt 20 intervjuer. Patienterna skrev också dagböcker om de förändringar av deras hopp, som uppstod i vardagen under en period av fyra veckor. Även mätning av hopp (HHIS) och symtom (ESAS) genomfördes vid tre tillfällen. Analysen skedde med den konstant komparativa metoden. Resultatet visade att patientens hopp förändrades över tid och beskrevs i en process med en inre glödande kärna av hopp, som inte påverkades så mycket av yttre omständigheter, men som kunde falna eller flamma upp (studie I). Hopp beskrivs i olika processer som att skapa ett övertygat hopp, ett simultant hopp, som att samla och uppehålla hopp och som ett hopp, som håller på att rinna ut. Den döende patientens hopp kan skildras som en successiv anpassningsprocess. Strategier som upprätthåller liv beskrivs vara att upprätthålla sin egen mening, att samtala om liv och död, att skaffa medresenärer och att byta fokus (studie II). Strategier, som förberedde döden, var att ta ansvar för framtiden och att se möjligheter att leva vidare även efter döden. Dessa tillvägagångssätt var parallella och beroende av varandra. Kunskap hos vårdpersonal om patientens egna strategier att upprätthålla liv/hopp och förbereda död är viktigt, för att inte ta ifrån patienten dennes hopp vid samtidig förberedelse för döden. Sammanfattningsvis ska hopp ses som en föränderlig process över tid och som snabbt kan förändras, men som har en inre glöd, som är mer oantastlig och inte så lätt påverkas av yttre omständigheter. Det är viktigt för vårdpersonal, som arbetar med döende patienter, att känna till att patienter har parallella strategier, som upprätthåller hopp. Ökad kunskap om vad hopp innebär för den enskilde patienten kan minska risken för att hopp fråntas patienten i livets sista tid. / The Glimmering Embers - experiences of hope among cancer patients in palliative home care / Maintaining hope when close to death: insight from cancer patients in palliaitve home care

<p>Syftet med denna undesökning var att ur ett ekologiskt perspektiv undersöka betydelsen av interna och externa resurser för integrationen för nyanlända flyktingar i Fagersta kommun, och om något upplevts särskilt viktigt för integrationen som bidragit till känsla av hopp och framtidstro. Två delstudier genomfördes. En kartläggning gjordes av lagar och regleringar som påverkar flyktingpolitiken samt en dokumentanalys av lokala policy- och styrdokument i Fagersta kommun. Åtta semistrukturerade ntervjuer genomfördes med fyra kvinnliga och fyra manliga flyktingar bosatta i Fagersta. Resultatet, som överensstämmer med tidigare forskning, visade att flyktingar behöver ges möjlighet att vara aktiva i sin egen anpassningsprocess. Slutsatsen är att flyktingar som känner sig delaktiga mår bättre vilket främjar integrationen.</p> / <p>The purpose of this paper was, from an ecological perspective, to study the importance of internal and external resources for the integration process for new refugees coming into the Fagersta community. Also to study whether the refugees benefited from any particular part of the integration process that contributed to an increased personal sense of hope and belief in their future. Two studies were carried out. Firstly, a chart of the laws and regulations affecting the integration politics was undertaken. Secondly, an analysis was made of the local policy and regulation dociments in the Fagersta community. Eight semi structured interviews were carried through with four female and four male refugees that had previously settled in the Fagerta community. The results of these interviews supported earlier studies that confirmed that refugees need the opportunity to be active in their own adjustment process. The conclusion is that refugees that feel they are allowed to, and are able to, participate in their own integration process experience a greater sense of well-being which, in turn, contributes to a more successful integration within their new community.</p>

<p>Forskning har visat att arbetssökandes motivation till att söka arbete påverkar deras hälsa och sociala liv. Tre motivationsteorier som utvecklats inom området och som ligger till grund i studien är</p><p><em>Förväntning- och värdeteorin, Målsättningsteorin och <em>Självbestämmandeteorin. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur positivt psykologiskt kapital, inskrivningstid på arbetsförmedling samt tillgång till jobbcoach eller inte inverkar på arbetssökandes inre motivation. En enkätstudie genomfördes där 154 arbetssökande, 83 män och 70 kvinnor deltog. De fick ta ställning till 50 påståenden gällande tron på den egna förmågan, hopp, hantering av motgång och inre motivation. Resultatet visade att den främsta variabeln som förklarar inre motivation hos arbetssökande är hopp, som innebär hopp om framtiden. Det visade sig att tiden som individen är arbetssökande och tillgång till jobbcoach, inte hade någon betydelse för inre motivationen. Slutsatsen är att trots att det råder lågkonjunktur så finns hopp om framtiden. <em><p>Key words:</p>length of unemployment, hope, intrinsic motivation </em></em></em></p>

Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, Dept. of Psychology, Committee on Human Development, June 1999. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Syftet med denna undesökning var att ur ett ekologiskt perspektiv undersöka betydelsen av interna och externa resurser för integrationen för nyanlända flyktingar i Fagersta kommun, och om något upplevts särskilt viktigt för integrationen som bidragit till känsla av hopp och framtidstro. Två delstudier genomfördes. En kartläggning gjordes av lagar och regleringar som påverkar flyktingpolitiken samt en dokumentanalys av lokala policy- och styrdokument i Fagersta kommun. Åtta semistrukturerade ntervjuer genomfördes med fyra kvinnliga och fyra manliga flyktingar bosatta i Fagersta. Resultatet, som överensstämmer med tidigare forskning, visade att flyktingar behöver ges möjlighet att vara aktiva i sin egen anpassningsprocess. Slutsatsen är att flyktingar som känner sig delaktiga mår bättre vilket främjar integrationen. / The purpose of this paper was, from an ecological perspective, to study the importance of internal and external resources for the integration process for new refugees coming into the Fagersta community. Also to study whether the refugees benefited from any particular part of the integration process that contributed to an increased personal sense of hope and belief in their future. Two studies were carried out. Firstly, a chart of the laws and regulations affecting the integration politics was undertaken. Secondly, an analysis was made of the local policy and regulation dociments in the Fagersta community. Eight semi structured interviews were carried through with four female and four male refugees that had previously settled in the Fagerta community. The results of these interviews supported earlier studies that confirmed that refugees need the opportunity to be active in their own adjustment process. The conclusion is that refugees that feel they are allowed to, and are able to, participate in their own integration process experience a greater sense of well-being which, in turn, contributes to a more successful integration within their new community.