The Hope

Hopeful thinking mitigates risks factors associated with negative life events and psychopathology. A hope programme which employed a blended learning mode was launched to enhance hopeful thinking among our students.

The programme consists of the development phase, and two phases for testing its effectiveness. The programme included an online ZOOM introductory session, followed by 6 online modules launched on Moodle. Its effectiveness was tested in a 3-phase study design.

At the development phase, the programme was designed by integrating, piloting and localizing successful past intervention programmes to improve hopeful thinking. Students (N =8) were invited to focus groups to share their needs and thoughts on the programme, the programme was then streamlined and improved.

At phase I, the hope programme was launched among students who took the course Basic Psychology for Educators: Useful Concepts from Educational and Positive Psychology (PSY2050). Pre-and post-tests on their hopeful thinking, life satisfaction, and understanding on concepts related to hope were measured.

At phase II, the effectiveness of the hope programme was further tested by having students to be placed randomly into the hope programme ( as experimental group) vs. a research writing skills programme (as active control group), another group of students who did not join any programmes were recruited as baseline passive control. Students from all programmes could sign up to participate in this study. Pre-and post-tests (within subjects) and across groups (between subjects) on their hopeful thinking, life satisfaction, and understanding on concepts related to hope were measured and compared.

Finally, some students who took the course helped casting some videos and develop a website that summarized the crucial elements for increasing hopeful thinking, which serves the purpose of educating the general public.