An Inventory to Measure Helplessness, Hopelessness, and Haplessness

Abstract

Using a sample of 69 undergraduates, scales were devised to measure helplessness, hopelessness, and haplessness and shown to have good reliability. Briefer scales were also developed whose scores were independent of one another in a factor analysis. Scores for 19 male and 50 female undergraduates on the 4-item scales of Helplessness and Hopelessness were associated with two different measures of depression, but scores on Hopelessness provided the stronger correlate.