Adaptation and validation of the Adult Dispositional Hope Scale in the Ecuadorian context

Abstract

AbstractThis study aimed to evidence the validity and reliability of the Ecuadorian version of the Adult Dispositional Hope Scale, one of the most studied concepts of positive psychology. The adaptation process included translation and semantic and idiomatic validation. For content validation, an expert review and focus group were conducted. The questionnaire was applied to 2423 workers in Ecuador with a mean age of 37 years (SD = 9.04), and 65.6% were women. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to assess the validity of the scale’s dimensionality. The reliability and convergent and discriminant validity were also evaluated. In order to investigate the best solution for an Ecuadorian version of the Adult Dispositional Hope Scale, four structural models were assessed. The unidimensional solution was the most adequate structure for the scale. The internal consistency of the scale was adequate. The Adult Dispositional Hope Scale (ADHS) was developed to assess this positive psychological state and has been the most used tool in many contexts. To our knowledge, this study is the first to adapt the Adult Dispositional Hope Scale into the Ecuadorian context and evaluate its validity. The findings support its reliability, factorial, and construct validity in the Ecuadorian context. Furthermore, the results show that dispositional hope acts as a protective factor, promoting work engagement and preventing burnout.