Complete Bibliography & Further Reading
The science behind hope as a learnable cognitive skill
UBHopeful2 is built on decades of rigorous research in hope psychology, positive psychology, and goal-directed thinking. This page provides a comprehensive bibliography of the academic works, books, and research papers that inform the product's 11 hope components and 27 modules. Each source is available through Amazon with direct purchase links.
The foundational research upon which UBHopeful2's hope components are built:
1994 • Free Press
The seminal work that introduced Hope Theory to the world. Snyder, a professor at the University of Kansas, presents his groundbreaking three-component model: goals as the anchors of hope, willpower (agency thinking) as the motivation to pursue goals, and waypower (pathways thinking) as the ability to generate routes to reach them.
2013 • Atria Books
Lopez, Snyder's student and colleague who became Senior Scientist at Gallup, brings hope research into practical application. Based on his work with thousands of individuals, he shows how hope can be cultivated, measured, and applied in education, work, and personal life. This book makes hope science accessible to everyone.
2000 • Academic Press
The comprehensive academic reference on Hope Theory. This edited volume brings together contributions from leading researchers, covering the theoretical foundations, measurement instruments, developmental aspects, and applications of hope across psychology, education, health, and therapy.
Essential texts from the founders and leaders of positive psychology that complement Hope Theory:
1946 • Beacon Press
Frankl's account of surviving the Nazi concentration camps and developing logotherapy—the idea that meaning is the primary human drive. His observation that those who survived often had something to hope for profoundly influenced Snyder's work on hope.
1990 • Vintage Books
The founder of positive psychology presents his research on explanatory styles and how optimism can be learned. Seligman's work on optimism helped distinguish it from hope—while related, hope adds the agency component (believing YOU can make things happen).
2011 • Atria Books
Seligman's updated framework for well-being—PERMA (Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment). Hope plays a role in multiple elements, particularly Accomplishment and the forward-looking aspect of Meaning.
2016 • Scribner
Duckworth's research on grit—the combination of passion and perseverance for long-term goals—complements Hope Theory. Where hope provides the cognitive framework (goals + willpower + waypower), grit addresses the sustained effort over time.
2006 • Ballantine Books
Dweck's research on fixed vs. growth mindset shows how beliefs about ability affect motivation and achievement. A growth mindset—believing abilities can be developed—is essential for hopeful thinking, particularly for generating pathways when initial attempts fail.
Research-based books that translate hope science and goal theory into daily practice:
1997 • W.H. Freeman
Bandura's comprehensive work on self-efficacy—the belief in one's ability to succeed in specific situations. Self-efficacy is closely related to Snyder's agency thinking (willpower) and provides the theoretical foundation for believing in one's capacity to achieve goals.
2007 • Penguin Press
Lyubomirsky's research shows that 40% of happiness is under voluntary control through intentional activities. Hope is one of the key factors that contributes to sustainable happiness, particularly through goal-pursuit and optimism cultivation.
2009 • Harmony Books
Fredrickson's broaden-and-build theory explains how positive emotions expand our awareness and build lasting psychological resources—including hope. Her research shows how positivity creates upward spirals of well-being.
2017 • Knopf
Drawing on research about resilience and post-traumatic growth, this book shows how people can find strength and joy even after life's hardest experiences. Hope plays a central role in the recovery process.
Peer-reviewed research underlying UBHopeful2's evidence-based approach:
Snyder, C.R. (2002). Psychological Inquiry, 13(4), 249-275.
Snyder's comprehensive overview of Hope Theory—the definitive academic statement of the three-component model (goals, agency, pathways) and its applications across psychology.
Snyder, C.R., Harris, C., Anderson, J.R., et al. (1991). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60(4), 570-585.
The foundational paper introducing the Adult Hope Scale—the most widely used measure of hope in research. Validates the distinction between agency (willpower) and pathways (waypower) thinking.
Snyder, C.R., Shorey, H.S., Cheavens, J., et al. (2002). Journal of Educational Psychology, 94(4), 820-826.
Demonstrates that hope predicts college GPA even after controlling for intelligence, prior academic achievement, and self-esteem—showing hope's unique contribution to success.
Snyder, C.R., Rand, K.L., & Sigmon, D.R. (2002). In C.R. Snyder & S.J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of Positive Psychology (pp. 257-276). Oxford University Press.
Places Hope Theory within the broader context of positive psychology, explaining its relationships to optimism, self-efficacy, and other related constructs.
Snyder, C.R., Cheavens, J., & Sympson, S.C. (1997). Psychological Reports, 81, 1131-1139.
Shows how high-hope individuals handle obstacles differently—they generate more pathways and maintain agency even when blocked. Supports the Waypower and Negative Affectivity components.
Snyder, C.R., Irving, L., & Anderson, J.R. (1991). In C.R. Snyder & D.R. Forsyth (Eds.), Handbook of Social and Clinical Psychology (pp. 285-305). Pergamon Press.
Early statement of Hope Theory with emphasis on health outcomes—demonstrating that hope predicts better coping with illness, faster recovery, and greater treatment adherence.
Google Scholar is a free academic search engine that indexes peer-reviewed papers, theses, books, and conference proceedings from universities and research institutions worldwide.
Unlike regular Google, Scholar focuses exclusively on academic and scholarly sources—the original research that books like those above are based on.
Use Google Scholar when you want to:
Note: Some papers require institutional access or purchase, but many are freely available as PDFs.
Transform evidence-based hope research into daily inspiration with UBHopeful2's 27 modules and 2,700+ curated quotes.