Development and Psychometric Testing of a Children's Version of the Herth Hope Index.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Hope in children is critical however multidimensional tools to measure hope are almost nonexistent. The aim of study is to develop and psychometrically evaluate a multidimensional children's version of the well-regarded Herth Hope Index for those 8-12 years old. METHODS Phase one; qualitative study of hope in children, construction of the Herth Hope Index - Child Version (HHI-C), and validation by focus groups. Phase two; pilot testing with 22 children. Phase three; psychometric evaluation with 125 children. RESULTS Cronbach's alpha of 0.856 with 3-week test-retest reliability of 0.966. Construct validity supported factorial isolation of three factors: (a) inner positive readiness; (b) interconnectedness with self and others; (c) temporality and future. CONCLUSION Psychometric findings support the use of the HHI-C as a multidimensional tool to measure hope in children.