Dimensionality and Validation of the Dispositional Hope Scale in a Spanish Sample

Abstract

Hope has emerged as a central construct when discussing human psychological strengths, well-being and quality of life. The first and most used instrument presented to measure the construct was the dispositional hope scale (DHS). Nevertheless, its underlying factor structure is still under debate. This research presents the first translation into Spanish and also the first validation of the DHS in Spanish speaking population. Specifically, the aim is to systematically test for the competitive models of the DHS. Four confirmatory factor analyses were tested: unidimensional, non-hierarchical multidimensional, second-order, and bifactor models; on a sample of 242 Spanish university students. Estimations of internal consistency, factorial and nomological validity are presented. Among the different structures collected along the literature and tested in this research, a unidimensional model has been found as the best structure to represent the answers to the scale. This study offers the first presentation and validation of a Spanish version of the DHS, offering evidence of adequate psychometric properties.