Introduction
Hope is a critical psychological resource for children and adolescents, shaping their motivation, resilience, and ability to pursue meaningful goals. The Children’s Hope Scale (CHS), developed in 1997 by Snyder, Hoza, Pelham, Rapoff, and colleagues, and published by the Journal of Pediatric Psychology (Oxford University Press) provides a concise, validated measure of hope in youth. With more than 1,900 citations, the CHS is widely recognized in pediatric psychology and positive psychology research because of its reliability and high validity.
This guide offers a clear and comprehensive overview of the CHS, explaining its design, use, and relevance for both research and clinical practice.
Key Features of the Children’s Hope Scale (CHS)
Purpose and Use
The CHS measures a child’s level of hope, which is defined as their goal‑directed motivation (agency) and their perceived ability to generate routes to those goals (pathways). Therefore, it provides a quick, reliable snapshot of how confidently children believe they can set, pursue, and achieve goals, even when obstacles arise.
Target Population
The CHS is designed for children and adolescents aged 8–16, including:
Elementary school studentsMiddle school studentsIt is worth noting that the CHS is not validated for adults or younger children which limits its audience.
Structure
The CHS consists of 6 items, divided into two domains:
Agency Thinking (3 items): Assesses determination and confidence in achieving goals, such as believing they are doing well or staying motivated when facing challenges.Pathways Thinking (3 items): Evaluates the ability to find solutions and alternative ways when facing obstacles, such as coming up with different strategies or plans when encountering problems.Items are phrased as self‑report statements, rated on a 6‑point Likert scale.
Scoring Method
Each item on the CHS carries a score ranging from 1 (None of the time) to 6 (All of the time), and importantly, no items require reverse scoring. Next, to calculate the subscale scores, you sum the relevant items: Agency Thinking includes items 1, 3, and 5, while Pathways Thinking includes items 2, 4, and 6. Finally, you combine all six items to obtain the total hope score, which falls within a range of 6 to 36. In this way, higher scores consistently reflect greater levels of hope. Researchers often apply cut‑off scores to categorize levels of hope into:
Low Hope (6–12)Slight Hope (13–23)Moderate Hope (24–29)High Hope (30–36)Administration Format
The CHS takes less than 5 minutes, thus, it's suitable for busy environments. Health teams can administer the tool via:
Paper formsDigital platformsIn‑person interviews.It is primarily self‑administered and requires no specialized training.
Applications of the Children’s Hope Scale (CHS)
The CHS is widely used for:
Screening: Identifying children with low levels of hope.Monitoring: Tracking changes in hope over time or during interventions.Research: Studying motivation, resilience, and positive psychology in youth populations.Languages and availability
Because the CHS has been translated into many languages, it now enjoys a wide global reach, with versions available in:
ArabicEnglishMandarin ChineseSpanishPortugueseIndonesianTurkishIt is available in the public domain, which makes it free to use for research and clinical purposes.
Reliability and Validity
The CHS demonstrates strong psychometric properties, with Cronbach’s α values ranging from 0.72 to 0.86 across samples and a median α of 0.77. These results indicate good internal consistency for both the Agency and Pathways subscales and high reliability. Moreover, Validation studies confirm its construct validity, showing correlations with measures of resilience and psychological well‑being. Additionally, researchers tested the scale across diverse populations and languages, and the results support its reliability and cross‑cultural applicability.
Original validation study linkValidation in South Sudanese refugee children linkValidation among children affected by armed conflict in Burundi, Indonesia and Nepal linkLimitations and Considerations
Despite its strengths, the CHS has some limitations:
Self‑report measure: Subject to recall and social desirability bias.Narrow focus: Limited to hope, without assessing broader psychological domains.Lack of sensitivity to change: May not capture subtle shifts in hope over short periods.Social desirability bias: children may respond in ways they believe are expected rather than reflecting their true feelings.Other Versions And Related Questionnaires
Other versions for CHS are available, including:
Adult Hope Scale (AHS): It's similar to CHS but designed for adults.Children's Hope Scale-revised PTPB edition (CHS-PTPB): A revised version of the Children’s Hope Scale (CHS) which measures the relation between hope and mental health treatment over time.Trait Hope ScaleBrief Hope ScaleAdditionally, the CHS complements other tools, including:
Children's Depression Inventory (CDI): Complementary measure of mood.Resilience Scale for Children and Adolescents (RSCA): Evaluates resilience alongside hope.Additional Resources
A direct link to the Original Validation StudyCHS-PTPB validation studyYou can download the questionnaire as a Word document from here.For more information, you can contact the following E-mail: jpepsy.editorialoffice@oup.comFrequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who can use the CHS?Researchers, clinicians, and educators working with children and adolescents aged 8–16.
How long does it take to complete the CHS?It can be usually completed in Less than 5 minutes, which makes it suitable for busy settings
How is the CHS administered?Healthcare teams can administer the CHS via paper, digital, or interview formats offering flexibility in usage.
Is there any cost to using the CHS?It is in the public domain and can be used for free.
A Word From ResRef about the Children’s Hope Scale (CHS)
The Children’s Hope Scale (CHS) is a valuable and well-validated tool for assessing hope in children and adolescents. Its clear structure makes it practical for both clinical and research settings. Therefore, we recommend its use for professionals aiming to understand and support the motivational and goal-setting capacities of young individuals.
References
Snyder, C. R., Hoza, B., Pelham, W. E., Rapoff, M., Ware, L., Danovsky, M., Highberger, L., Rubinstein, H., & Stahl, K. J. (1997). The development and validation of the Children's Hope Scale. Journal of pediatric psychology, 22(3), 399–421. LinkMetzler, J., Zhang, Y., Saw, T., Leu, C. S., & Landers, C. (2023). Measuring hope: psychometric properties of the children's Hope Scale among South Sudanese refugee children. Child psychiatry and human development, 54(5), 1452–1458. LinkHaroz, E. E., Jordans, M., de Jong, J., Gross, A., Bass, J., & Tol, W. (2017). Measuring Hope Among Children Affected by Armed Conflict: Cross-Cultural Construct Validity of the Children's Hope Scale. Assessment, 24(4), 528–539. LinkDew-Reeves, S. E., Athay, M. M., & Kelley, S. D. (2012). Validation and use of the Children's Hope Scale-revised PTPB edition (CHS-PTPB): high initial youth hope and elevated baseline symptomatology predict poor treatment outcomes. Administration and policy in mental health, 39(1-2), 60–70. Link