Worldviews and Basic Beliefs of Hope

Abstract

To further elaborate on the concept of hope outlined in Chap. 2, the purpose of this contribution is to investigate the role of basic beliefs and worldviews in sustaining the general perception of hope in different cultures. We begin by introducing the theoretical concepts about the nature of basic beliefs and worldviews, especially with regard to a future-oriented thinking. Employing the Perceived Hope Scale, the Dispositional Hope Scale, the Assumptive Worldviews, and several variables of subjective and psychological well-being, we investigate the levels and predictors of hope in six distinct samples of the Hope Barometer 2017 (N = 6548). Our findings support the notion of hope as a multidimensional phenomenon with certain universal features across cultures while recognizing that people in different cultures experience hope based on specific worldviews, independently from the nation’s economic wealth.